12 September 2020

ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting



ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers Meeting

Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri V. Muraleedharan participated in the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) held virtually on 12 September 2020 under the Chairmanship of Vietnam.

The 27th ARF Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM) exchanged views on international and regional issues. The Minister of State presented India’s perspectives on the Indo-Pacific Ocean’s Initiative, the threat of terrorism, maritime issues in the context of UNCLOS framework and cooperation for collective response for COVID-19.

The ARF Ministers adopted three Statements, namely, Enhancing Cooperation to Prevent and Respond to Infectious Disease Outbreaks; Treatment of Children Recruited by or Associated with Terrorist Groups; and Cooperation in the Field of Security of and in the Use of ICTs in the Context of International Security.

India engages in various ARF activities and initiatives on Maritime Security; Counter Terrorism; Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs); and Disaster Relief. Under the ARF activities approved for 2020-21 during the meeting, India will co-chair workshops on International Ship and Port facility Security Code (ISPS Code) and on Implementing United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international instruments.