Jaishankar in Laos: Deepening India's ASEAN Ties

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has arrived in Laos to participate in the ASEAN meeting. The trip highlights India's commitment to deepening ties with the ASEAN bloc and marks a decade of its Act East Policy. Jaishankar will also hold bilateral meetings with other ministers during the visit.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday to participate in the ASEAN meeting. Jaishankar emphasized his anticipation to further strengthen India’s ties with the bloc, as the country celebrates a decade of its Act East Policy.

Invited by Saleumxay Kommasith, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, Jaishankar will attend Foreign Ministers' Meetings under various ASEAN frameworks including ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit (EAS), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

“Arrived in Vientiane, Laos to take part in the ASEAN-mechanism meetings. Look forward to further deepening India's ties with ASEAN as we mark a decade of Act East Policy,” Jaishankar shared on X.

This visit underscores India's deep engagement with and importance it attaches to the ASEAN-centred regional architecture. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi highlighted India’s strong commitment to ASEAN unity, ASEAN centrality, and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), as well as advancing the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The visit is particularly significant as it marks a decade of India's Act East Policy, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 9th East Asia Summit in 2014. Jaishankar will also hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from other nations in Vientiane, on the sidelines of the ASEAN-related meetings.

The three-day meet has also attracted foreign ministers from Southeast Asian nations and top diplomats from key partner countries such as the United States and China. Among the attendees are US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.