Indian External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, will visit Brunei from July 1-2, to attend the 11th India-ASEAN ministerial conference, the 20th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the 3rd East Asia Summit (EAS) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. He will also visit Singapore on July 3-4.
During the 11th India-ASEAN ministerial conference, Khurshid is expected to meet his counterparts from ASEAN countries. At the EAS foreign ministers’ meeting, member countries are expected to discuss ways to enhance cooperation in areas of education, energy, finance, disaster management, and pandemics, in addition to connectivity and economic partnership among the member states. They are also expected to deliberate on regional and international issues of concern. At the ARF meeting, member countries are expected to hold discussions on maritime security, commerce, freedom of navigation, terrorism, and cyber security issues.
In Singapore, Khurshid is expected to meet his counterpart, K Shanmugam, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and other senior ministers.
The India-ASEAN ministerial conference and the EAS Foreign Ministers’ meeting are preparatory to the ASEAN-India summit and the East Asia Summit meeting, respectively, to be held later this year. India is a founding member of the EAS. India also attaches special importance to ARF as a forum for constructive dialogue on political and security cooperation in the region.
India-ASEAN partnership is the cornerstone of India’s Look East Policy. In 2011-2012, India-ASEAN trade grew by 37% to reach $79.3 billion. Further, the proposed India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is crucial for the development of India’s north-eastern region.