AMN / WEB DESK
India and Lao PDR signed six MoUs and agreements in the fields including defence cooperation, customs, audio-visual, and preservation of heritage. India has also decided to provide one million US dollar financial assistance to a project to improve nutrition security in Laos with food fortification through the India-UN Development Partnership Fund. The MoUs were exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Lao PDR counterpart Sonexay Siphandone in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
On the second day of his visit to Laos, Prime Minister Modi met President of Lao PDR Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on Friday. The Prime Minister congratulated President Sisoulith for successfully hosting the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed bilateral ties and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the close partnership. President Sisoulith thanked Mr. Modi for India’s humanitarian assistance to Lao PDR in the wake of floods caused by Typhoon Yagi.
Prime Minister Modi also held bilateral talks with Prime Minister of Lao PDR Sonexay Siphandone in Vientiane. The two leaders discussed various areas of bilateral cooperation such as development partnership, capacity building, disaster management, renewable energy, heritage restoration, economic ties, defence collaboration, and people-to-people ties. Lao PDR Prime Minister Siphandone thanked Mr. Modi for India’s flood relief assistance provided to Lao PDR in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi.
Prime Minister Modi also met Prime Minister of Thailand Paetongtarn Shinawatra on the sidelines of East Asia Summit. This was the first meeting between the two Prime Ministers. The two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation in a range of areas. They also exchanged views on ways to forge closer cooperation in sub-regional, regional, and multilateral fora. India’s ties with Thailand are an important pillar of India’s Act East policy, which is marking a decade this year, and India’s Vision of the Indo-Pacific.
After concluding his successful two-day visit, Prime Minister Modi reached New Delhi this evening. Mr Modi participated in the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit.
Earlier, speaking at the 19th East Asia Summit in Vientiane, Lao PDR, Prime Minister Modi stressed that a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific is vital for the peace and progress of the entire region. He said, peace, security and stability of the South China Sea is in the interest of the entire Indo-Pacific region.
Highlighting concern over the on-going conflict in different regions of the world, Mr Modi said, development should be the approach not expansionism. He said, the on-going conflicts in different regions are negatively impacting the countries of the Global South. He said that everyone wants peace and stability to be restored in Eurasia and the West Asia region. He reiterated that this is not an age of war and solutions to problems cannot come from the battlefield.
The Prime Minister emphasized that it is necessary to respect sovereignty, territorial integrity and international laws. He said, emphasis must be laid on humanitarian approach, dialogue and diplomacy. He said, India will continue to make every possible contribution in this direction.
Terming terrorism a serious challenge to global peace and security, the Prime Minister stressed that humanity will have to work together to deal with the challenges posed by the terrorism. He said, cooperation will also have to be strengthened in the areas of cyber, maritime and space. He said, it is necessary to ensure freedom of navigation and air space.
During his address, the Prime Minister also expressed his deepest condolences to the people affected by Typhoon Yagi. He said, India has provided humanitarian assistance by Operation Sadbhav.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the first leader to be invited to address the East Asia Summit after the host and incoming chair. The East Asia Summit, a premier leaders-led forum that contributes to building an environment of strategic trust in the region, provides an opportunity for leaders of Participating Countries, including India, to exchange views on issues of regional importance. The East Asia Summit encompasses the 10 ASEAN countries and eight partners, Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States. Timor-Leste will also be a partner as an observer.
Briefing media, Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs Joydeep Mazumdar said, the Prime Minister attended the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit and these were especially significant this year because it marked the 10th year of the Prime Minister’s Act East Policy. He said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that Myanmar should be engaged and should not be isolated. He said, Mr. Modi also stressed that it is important to restore democracy in Myanmar and all countries should work together to achieve this.