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After rolling out the red carpet for the heads of state of all 10 southeast Asian nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Thursday address the plenary session of India-Asean commemorative summit in the national capital.
With “Shared Values, Common Destiny” as the theme, New Delhi will hold the Commemorative Summit to mark 25 years of the India-Asean Dialogue partnership with the focus on counter-terrorism, security, trade and connectivity.
The Summit will mark the conclusion of a series of events held over the last one year to mark the silver anniversary of the Dialogue Partnership.
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The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The 10 Asean leaders, who will also be chief guests in this year’s Republic Day parade, will be hosted by President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan for lunch after which Modi will hold a leaders’ retreat in which the issue of maritime cooperation and security will figure.
Modi and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will deliver the opening remarks at the plenary session in the evening in which all the other leaders of the bloc will share the dais. Singapore assumed the Chair of Asean from this month.
Modi will also release a set of commemorative stamps in the presence of the leaders to mark the occasion.
Following this, Modi will host a gala dinner along with a cultural programme in honour of the visiting dignitaries.
On Friday, in what will be something unprecedented, the leaders of all 10 Asean nations will attend this year’s Republic Day celebrations as guests of honour.
India’s relationship with the Asean regional bloc has emerged as a cornerstone of New Delhi’s foreign policy.
India-Asean trade stands at over $70 billion and the two sides are also negotiating a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
(With inputs from agencies)
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