Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Education Rajkumar Ranjan Singh on Thursday called for exploration and deliberation on implementation of the Joint Statement on ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) adopted by the leaders of India and ASEAN during the last Summit.
Ranjan was delivering the keynote address at the opening session of 'International Conference on Connecting East: Confluence of IPOI and AOIP Visions’ at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, stated a release.
Ranjan called the International Conference as a continuation of dialogue, carrying forward discussions and agenda from the XII-Delhi Dialogue and the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting hosted by India in June this year, it stated.
The MoS further highlighted that India’s vision for the Indo-Pacific region, as reflected through IPOI, resonates closely with ASEAN’s own Outlook on the Indo-Pacific. Both AOIP and IPOI see Indo-Pacific as a closely integrated and inter-connected region and want to see a free, open and inclusive region that ensures security and growth for all in the region, it stated.
It mentioned that the maritime Cooperation, Connectivity, Economic and Developmental Cooperation identified in the ASEAN Outlook are also priorities for India in the region. He emphasised that the ongoing ASEAN-India partnership provides with a strong foundation to build up cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, guided by the synergy of AOIP and IPOI, it added.
It further stated that ASEAN’s Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) was adopted in 2019. It is a unified vision and strategy of the ten members grouping for the Indo-Pacific region. Similarly, Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) was first suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 14th East Asian Summit, with an aim to strengthen cooperation in maritime domain through collaboration of like-minded partners based on the principle of equality and sustainable use of maritime resources, it mentioned.
The International Conference is being organised by the Association of Asia Scholars in partnership with the Ministry of External Affairs, as part of the on-going ASEAN-India Friendship Year celebrations to mark 30 years of India’s relationship with the ASEAN, it further stated.
The three-day International Conference will see close to 10 thematic sessions on multilateralism and connectivity – maritime, environmental, digital, social, education; with participation of scholars, leading think tanks and diplomats from the ASEAN member states and India, it mentioned.
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