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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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