EAM Jaishankar attends ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with India

External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar attended the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with India in Vientiane, the capital city of Lao People's Democratic Republic, on 26 July 2024

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the Lao People's Democratic Republic from July 25 to 27, 2024, to attend the Foreign Minister’s Meetings under the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) framework in the format of ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit(EAS), and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

Lao People's Democratic Republic, the current chairman of ASEAN, is hosting the ASEAN foreign minister’s meeting, EAS meeting, ARF meeting, and India-ASEAN meeting.

Saleumxay Kommasith is the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with India 

The ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with India was held in Vientiane on 26 July 2024 and was attended by the foreign ministers of the 10 member states of ASEAN and S.Jaishankar.

The Meeting reaffirmed both sides’ commitment to further enhance the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in the coming years and realise its full potential in the next five years.

About ASEAN 

• The Association of Southeast  Asian Nations (ASEAN) is considered one of the most successful regional groups in the world. 
• It was set up in 1967 with five Southeast nations - Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Indonesia. 
• It was later gradually expanded and now consists of 10 Southeast nations -Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Timor Leste has an Observer status in ASEAN. 
• Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia.

India- ASEAN relation 

• Under the 1992 Look East policy of the Narasimha Rao government, India started a policy of deep engagement with the ASEAN countries to promote trade and investment.
• In 1992, India was made an ASEAN sectoral partner, and regular official dialogue started between ASEAN and India.
•  With the increasing depth of the relationships, the status was changed to a Dialogue Partner in 1996, and in the same year, India became a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
• In 2002, the relationship was further upgraded to the Summit level, and in 2012, it was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership.
• India  also became a founder member of the East Asia Summit in 2005, 
•  In 2010, India became a founding member of the ADMM(ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting ) Plus Forum.
• The 18-member ADMM Plus Forum is the forum of the defence ministers of the ASEAN countries Japan, China, India, Russia, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America. 

31st ARF Foreign Minister Meeting 

The 31st ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Minister meeting will be held in Vientiane on 27 July 2024.

It was established in 1994 to promote security dialogue in the Indo-Pacific region and develop cooperative measures to enhance peace and security in the region.

There are 27 members of ARF- 

• 10 members of ASEAN, 
• 10 ASEAN Dialogue Partners of ASEAN- Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, the European Union, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States of America, and  
• Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, North Korea, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste.

14th East Asia Summit  (EAS) Foreign Minister Meeting 

The East Asia Summit was set up by ASEAN in 2005  to further strategic and economic cooperation between ASEAN, the regional power of the region and the resident power - the United States of America and Russia. 

There are 18 member countries of ARF, including 10 member countries of ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States of America.