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India and ASEAN held the 28th Senior Officials' Meet in Manila which saw discussions on ways to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Sharing the details in a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "The 28th ASEAN-India Senior Officials' Meeting was Co-chaired by Secretary (East), Shri P. Kumaran & Undersecretary for Policy, Mr. Leo M. Herrera-Lim, @DFAPHL in Manila, Philippines." Jaiswal further noted, "The meeting reviewed progress in the implementation of decisions of ASEAN-India Summit held in October 2025 and discussed ways to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as we mark the year 2026 as ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation." https://x.com/MEAIndia/status/2042118773763928292?s=20 In his virtual address to the summit in October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the 21st century belongs to India and ASEAN, describing the bloc as a major pillar of India's Act East Policy. He also declared 2026 as the Year of ASEAN-India Maritime Cooperation to strengthen regional connectivity and ocean-based economic activities. India and the leaders from ASEAN member states had adopted the "ASEAN-India Joint Leaders' Statement on Sustainable Tourism", reaffirming their commitment to promote eco-friendly, inclusive, and responsible tourism across the region, emphasising environmental sustainability and pollution reduction as key priorities under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two parties. According to the statement, issued following the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the leaders agreed to adopt the "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" model, promote Travel for "LiFE actions", and ensure sustainable, pro-planet practices in the tourism sector. The statement called for optimal use of land and water resources, minimising overcrowding and overuse of natural assets, and promoting biodiversity-friendly tourism practices. It also encouraged the elimination of single-use plastics, sustainable sourcing, and improved destination management to ensure long-term environmental stewardship. (ANI)
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