NEW DELHI, 16 June 2022 – Senior Officials from ASEAN and India met yesterday in New Delhi to review cooperation and discuss ways to further strengthen ASEAN-India strategic partnership in areas of mutual interest.
The 24th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting also discussed preparations for the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting which is to be held today in conjunction with the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations.
In reviewing ASEAN-India cooperation, the meeting noted the steady progress in the implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025).
The meeting highlighted the possibility for both sides to further deepen cooperation in areas such as tourism, blue economy, biodiversity conservation, smart agriculture, digitalisation, sustainable development, humanitarian assistance, public health, traditional medicines, climate change, science, and technology, MSMEs, R&D scheme, people-to-people linkages, and narrowing the development gaps.
The meeting exchanged views on the developments in ASEAN and India, including efforts of both sides to collaborate to support post-pandemic socio-economic recovery.
The meeting appreciated India for its contribution of US$ 1 million to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund and encouraged India to explore cooperation with ASEAN in areas such as mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates; production of vaccines; generic drugs and medical technologies and treatment of COVID-19; genomics surveillance; pandemic preparedness, as well as strengthening global supply chain.
The Senior Officials also noted that a number of commemorative activities to celebrate 2022 as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year, to mark the 30th anniversary of their relations, is being planned.
The activities include visits of an ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary delegation to India and vice versa, ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise and ASEAN-India Business Expo, as well as ASEAN India Artist Camp.
Both sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.
Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs, and SOM Leader of India, Saurabh Kumar, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and SOM Leader of Singapore, Albert Chua, co-chaired the 24th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’.
Other ASEAN SOM Leaders or their representatives and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Political-Security Community were also in attendance.
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