North New
New Delhi, October 10
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the 21st ASEAN-India Summit in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on Thursday, marking a decade of India’s Act East Policy. The summit aimed to review the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and outline future cooperation. This was Modi’s 11th time attending the summit.
During his address, Modi reaffirmed India’s support for ASEAN Unity and ASEAN Centrality, emphasizing the importance of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. He called the 21st century the “Asian century” and highlighted the critical role of India-ASEAN ties in shaping Asia’s future. Modi noted that over the past decade, trade between India and ASEAN had doubled to more than USD 130 billion, and ASEAN had become one of India’s largest trade and investment partners. He also stressed the need to conclude the review of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement (AITIGA) by 2025.
The Prime Minister announced a 10-point plan to enhance connectivity and resilience between ASEAN and India. Key initiatives include celebrating 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism with a USD 5 million fund, launching a series of people-centric events, and increasing scholarships for ASEAN students at Indian universities. Additionally, the plan includes enhancing disaster resilience, strengthening health and cyber resilience, and organizing a workshop on green hydrogen. Modi also invited ASEAN leaders to join the “Plant a Tree for Mother” campaign aimed at climate resilience.
The summit saw the adoption of two joint statements: one on strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and another on advancing digital transformation. The leaders agreed to formulate a new ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2026-2030) to further realize the partnership’s potential.
Modi thanked Laos for its hospitality in hosting the summit and acknowledged Singapore’s role as Country Coordinator over the past three years. He expressed anticipation for future cooperation with the Philippines, the new Country Coordinator.
