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Secretary (East), P Kumaran represented India at the East Asia Summit Senior Officials' Meeting (EAS SOM) held on June 10 June and the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials' Meeting (ARF SOM) on June 11 in Penang, Malaysia, the current ASEAN Chair. These meetings were attended by Senior Officials of participating countries of EAS and ARF and were chaired by Dato' Sri Amran Mohamed Zin, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said in an official statement.
As per the MEA, Secretary (East), in his intervention at the EAS SOM, underlined the important role played by the leaders-led EAS platform to promote peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific; highlighted the strong convergence between the Indo-Pacific Oceans' Initiative (IPOI) and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP); expressed constructive support for the proposed outcome documents for the 20th East Asia Summit and discussed regional and international issues. Secretary (East) also invited EAS Participating Countries for the upcoming activities being hosted in India, including the EAS Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Energy Efficiency Policies and Programs - Mission LiFE and Conclave of EAS Heads of Higher Education Institutions at Nalanda University. Secretary (East) appreciated the role of the ASEAN-led mechanisms, and ARF and EAS in particular, in the emerging regional architecture for promoting mutual trust and understanding in the region. He shared India's grave concerns about the threat posed by state sponsored terrorism in light of the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. He outlined that India's response in Operation Sindoor was measured, non-escalatory, proportionate and responsible. As per the MEA statement, at the ARF SOM, activities and exchanges under ARF over the past year were reviewed and future plans and activities were discussed at the meeting. Senior Officials exchanged views on regional and international developments, including important issues such as terrorism, maritime and cyber security, among others. Secretary (East) also highlighted India's active participation in the different intersessional activities of ARF, such as the 16th Inter-sessional Meeting on Maritime Security and the 16th Inter-Sessional Meeting on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament. The MEA noted that during the visit, Secretary (East) held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, New Zealand, Korea and Singapore. (ANI)
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