NEW DELHI, 3 May 2024 – The 26th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting (AISOM) held today in New Delhi welcomed the positive developments in the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and shared mutual commitment to further augment the relations.
The meeting was co-chaired by ASEAN-Singapore SOM Leader, Albert Chua, and the SOM Leader of India, Jaideep Mazumdar. Senior Officials of ASEAN Member States (AMS) or their representatives, the Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Political-Security Community were in attendance, along with representatives from Timor-Leste who were present as Observer.
The Senior Officials exchanged views on developments in ASEAN and in India, and reviewed cooperation between both sides across the three ASEAN Community pillars. Both sides welcomed the implementation of all the measures in the ASEAN-India Plan of Action (POA) 2021-2025. The Senior Officials also looked forward to developing a new POA (2026-2030) that will guide both sides in realising the full potential of the CSP for the next five years.
The meeting expressed mutual interest in promoting regional peace, stability and prosperity, and encouraged both sides to exert efforts to materialise the implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the India-Pacific for Peace, Stability and Prosperity in the Region and the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation, through projects and activities.
The Senior Officials noted the positive developments in two-way trade in the recent years. They welcome efforts to commence the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Good Agreement (AITIGA). ASEAN expressed appreciation for India’s continuous support for ASEAN’s education sector through the provision of the Scholarship Funds for students from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam, and AMS pursuing master/postgraduate diploma at Nalanda University. Both sides exchanged views on issues of common interest and concern, including situations and developments in the South China Sea, Myanmar, and the Middle East.
Following the conclusion of the 26th AISOM, all ASEAN SOM Leaders or their representatives, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN and Timor-Leste paid a joint courtesy call on Minister of External Affairs of India, Dr. S. Jaishankar. In this meeting, the Minister underscored the importance of ASEAN to India, and that the ASEAN and East Asia Summit meetings are significant features of India’s diplomatic calendar.
He also underscored the need for ASEAN and India to collaborate to make the partnership more robust with substantive cooperation, including working together under the ASEAN Outlook in the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative as both sides share a strategic outlook. He further called for a swift review and updating of the AITIGA.
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