"ASEAN a crucial pillar of India's Act East Policy", Secy Mazumdar at India-ASEAN 27th Senior Officials' Meet

Manila [Philippines], March 12 (ANI): Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar, co-chaired the 27th ASEAN-India Senior Officials' Meeting (AISOM), with MA. Theresa P. Lazaro, Philippine SOM Leader, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines, in Manila on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement.
As per the MEA, Philippines is the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations. The meeting was attended by senior officials and representatives of all ASEAN member states and Timor Leste which holds Observer Status in ASEAN, and Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN.
In its statement, MEA said that the 27th AISOM reviewed the status of implementation of decisions of ASEAN-India Summit/ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting (PMC+1) across the three pillars of engagement, namely, political-security, economic and socio-cultural. The Senior Officials appreciated progress in the implementation of the 10 Point Proposal of the Prime Minister of India announced at the 21st ASEAN-India Summit in Laos in 2024 to further strengthen the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including to designate the year 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism.
Secretary Mazumdar underlined that ASEAN is a crucial pillar of India's Act East Policy and its vision for the wider Indo-Pacific.
According to the MEA, key issues of discussion included tourism cooperation, early completion of review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), digital, maritime, connectivity, health, innovation and development partnerships. Views on regional and global issues of mutual interest were also exchanged.
Notably, the preparations for the ASEAN-India Summit and ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting to be held later this year in Malaysia were also discussed. The ASEAN side appreciated India's continued support to ASEAN and to the ASEAN-led architecture in the region.
During his visit, Secretary Mazumdar called upon Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Enrique A. Manalo and briefed him on the outcomes of AISOM.
He also discussed growing bilateral relations and multifaceted cooperation between India and Philippines and the ways to further expand and enhance them. He thanked Secretary Manalo for accepting the invitation to participate in the 10th Raisina Dialogue at New Delhi from March 17-19. (ANI)