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NATION                                                              OCTOBER 18, 2024       |  The Indian Eye                    6


                                            INDIA-ASEAN SUMMIT




          Modi pitches for stronger ties with East Asia as



         he says 21st Century belongs to India and Asean




          To commemorate a decade of the Act East Policy, PM Modi announced a series of people-centric

                                   initiatives, including a Youth Summit and Start-up Festival



        OUR BUREAU
        Vientiane (Laos)
           n  a  major move,  Prime Minister  Narendra
           Modi unveiled a 10-point plan to bolster the
        I ASEAN-India Comprehensive Partnership
        at the 21st ASEAN-India Summit to enhance
        connectivity and resilience. To commemorate
        a decade of the Act East Policy, PM Modi an-
        nounced a  series of people-centric initiatives,  in-
        cluding a Youth Summit and Start-up Festival.
           “The India-ASEAN Summit was a productive
        one. We discussed how to further strengthen the
        Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between In-
        dia and ASEAN. We look forward to deepening
        trade ties, cultural linkages and cooperation in tech-
        nology, connectivity and other such sectors,” PM
        Modi posted on X.
            PM Modi’s 10-point plan to strengthen the
        ASEAN-India  partnership also  involves  doubling
        the number of scholarships at Nalanda University
        and invitation to ASEAN leaders to join ‘Plant a
        Tree for Mother’ campaign.
            Notably, in keeping with the Chair’s theme of
        “Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience,” PM an-
        nounced a 10-point plan, the Ministry of external   Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and other dignitaries hold hands
        Affairs said in a press release.                  during the 21st ASEAN-India Summit, in Vientiane on Thursday. Secretary-General of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn. (ANI)
            The 10-point plan includes -- Celebrating the
        year 2025 as ASEAN-India Year of Tourism for   of  the  Indo-Pacific  Ocean  initiative  that  comple-  He said that more than 300 ASEAN students
        which India would make available USD 5 million   ments the ASEAN Outlook in the region.    benefitted from scholarships at Nalanda Universi-
        towards joint activities; to celebrate a decade of Act   “I had announced India’s Act-East policy. In   ty and that a network of universities had also been
        East Policy through several people centric activities   the last decade, this policy has given new energy,  launched.
        including Youth Summit, Start-up Festival, Hack-  direction and momentum to the historic relations   PM Modi further said that India had contribut-
        athon, Music Festival, ASEAN-India Network of   between India and ASEAN countries. Giving   ed more than USD 30 million for the establishment
        Think Tanks and Delhi Dialogue; to organize ASE-  prominence to ASEAN, in 1991 we launched the   of the Science and Technology Fund, Digital Fund
        AN-India Women Scientists Conclave under ASE-  Indo-Pacific  Ocean  Initiative.  This  complements   and Green Fund for cooperation across various
        AN-India Science and Technology Development   the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific,” he said.  fields in the region.
        Fund; doubling the number of scholarships at Nalan-  “I believe that the 21st century is the century of   “People-centric approach is the basis of our
        da University and provision of new scholarships for   India and ASEAN countries. Today, when there is   development partnership. More than 300 ASE-
        ASEAN students at Agricultural Universities in India.   a situation of conflict and tension in many parts of  AN students have benefitted from scholarships at
            Modi on Wednesday stated that the 21st cen-  the world, the friendship, cooperation, dialogue and   Nalanda University. A network of universities has
        tury is the century of India and ASEAN countries   cooperation of India and ASEAN are very import-  been launched. Efforts have been made to preserve
        highlighting that in the last decade India’s Act-East   ant,” he added.                    shared heritage and heritage in Lao, Cambodia,
        policy had provided a “new energy, direction and   He stated that in the last 10 years, the trade   Vietnam, Myanmar, and Indonesia. Whether it is
        momentum” to the historic relations between India   between India and the ASEAN region has almost   the Covid pandemic or a natural disaster, we have
        and ASEAN nations.                            doubled, exceeding USD 130 billion.          helped each other. The Science and Technology
            He said that during a time of conflict and ten-  He further added that the establishment of fin-  Fund, Digital Fund and Green Fund have been es-
        sion that has surrounded many parts of the world,   tech connectivity is also being replicated in the ASE-  tablished for cooperation in various fields and In-
        the friendship, cooperation, dialogue and coopera-  AN nations, similar to what was done in Singapore.  dia has contributed more than 30 million dollars in
        tion of India and ASEAN were very important.     PM Modi emphasized the people-centric ap-  these,” he said.
            Addressing the 21st ASEAN-India summit in   proach and said that it was the basis of the develop-  Prime Minister Modi visited Laos at the invita-
        Vientiane, PM Modi highlighted the launch in 1991   ment partnership between the two regions.  tion of Laos’s Prime Minister, Sonexay Siphandone.


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