Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Sunday that ties between India and the 10‑member ASEAN bloc are growing fast. He highlighted the speed of cooperation in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), maritime security and the blue‑economy, and declared 2026 the “ASEAN‑India Year of Maritime Cooperation.”
Speaking from New Delhi as the ASEAN‑India Summit opened online, Modi said India has stood firmly with its ASEAN friends during crises. “Our partnership in HADR, maritime security and the blue economy is expanding rapidly,” he told the summit. “That’s why we’re naming 2026 the ASEAN‑India Year of Maritime Cooperation,” he added.
Modi also called for stronger ties in education, tourism, science and technology, health, green energy and cybersecurity. “The 21st century is our century,” he said, promising that India and ASEAN would lead in these areas together.
He praised ASEAN as the cornerstone of India’s Act‑East policy and underscored India’s support for ASEAN centrality and its Indo‑Pacific outlook. The Prime Minister said the India‑ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is moving ahead steadily and that the collaboration forms a “powerful foundation for global stability and growth.”
Modi noted that India and ASEAN together represent about a quarter of the world’s population and share deep historical ties and values. “We are not only neighbours but fellow travellers of the Global South,” he said, emphasizing that the partnership goes beyond commerce to include culture.
The summit’s theme, “Inclusivity and Sustainability,” speaks to the groups’ joint work on digital inclusion, food security and resilient supply chains amid current challenges.
Modi congratulated Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on a successful ASEAN Summit, thanked Philippine President Bongbong Marcos for coordinating India’s efforts in the region, applauded Timor‑Leste’s new ASEAN membership, and offered condolences to Thailand’s royal family and the people after the death of Queen Mother Sirikit.
Source: ianslive
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