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Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh, proposed three major areas to further enhance and deepen the ASEAN-India comprehensive strategic partnership, while addressing the 22nd ASEAN-India summit in Malaysia on Sunday (local time), according to Vietnam News.
The Vietnamese PM stressed the need to strengthen economic connectivity and make the most of comparative advantages for sustainable and inclusive development. Second, he proposed expanding people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in education, healthcare, culture, and tourism; and third, he highlighted the importance of promoting maritime cooperation and developing a sustainable blue economy. As part of the three principal directions, the Vietnamese PM also suggested that there is a need to promote the role of businesses, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); restructure the ASEAN-India Business Council; boost investment in high technology, renewable energy, infrastructure, logistics, artificial intelligence (AI), and semiconductors; and enhance Mekong-Ganga subregional cooperation to narrow development gaps, Vietnam News reported. In terms of developing maritime cooperation, he also mentioned the need to strengthen collaboration in maritime transport, science, and industry; and continue supporting ASEAN's stance on the East Sea, ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation, as well as peacefully settling disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Vietnamese PM also valued India's role in prompting "regional cooperation and amplifying the voice of developing countries in the global agenda," according to Vietnam News. He affirmed Viet Nam's support for India's continued implementation of its "Act East" policy and its efforts to strengthen comprehensive and substantive cooperation with ASEAN. He emphasised that, in the context of rapid and complex global developments, ASEAN and India, which he referred to as "strategic anchors" linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans, have a combined population of over 2 billion and a total GDP of nearly USD 8 trillion. The Vietnamese PM further affirmed that the country will continue to work closely with other ASEAN member states and India to promote substantive collaboration and contribute to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and beyond. During the summit, an agreement was reached to expedite the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to advance it towards a more business-friendly, streamlined, and effective framework, thereby promoting trade, investment, and inclusive, sustainable growth. According to Vietnam News, the summit adopted the ASEAN-India Action Plan for 2026-2030 as a roadmap for cooperation over the next five years, with priorities focusing on key areas such as the digital economy, innovation, clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, healthcare, education, food security, and narrowing development gaps. At the conclusion of the summit, the leaders adopted a Joint Statement on Sustainable Tourism, reaffirming their commitment to promoting substantive, inclusive, and sustainable cooperation between ASEAN and India in the new phase. (ANI)
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