Secretary General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn meets EAM Dr. S Jaishankar

Secretary General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn yesterday met External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar in New Delhi. In a social media post, Dr Jaishankar said, they discussed on taking forward India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He said, the agenda focused on connectivity,  food security and trade.

The Secretary General of ASEAN arrived in New Delhi Sunday on a five day visit to India.

He will deliver the Sapru House Lecture today in New Delhi organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs on the theme - The ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the Evolving Regional Architecture.

Dr. Kao Kim Hourn will visit the Mahabodhi Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Gaya, Bihar on Wednesday. He is scheduled to deliver an address on "The Future of ASEAN: ASEAN's Relevance and



Resilience in the Evolving Strategic Environment” at the Nalanda University in Rajgir. Students from ASEAN Member States pursue higher education at the University under ASEAN-India cooperation projects. The Nalanda University also leads the ASEAN-India Network of Universities.

Ministry of External Affairs said, engagement with ASEAN is an important pillar of India’s Act East Policy, which has entered into its 10th year in 2024, as well as its vision for the wider Indo-Pacific. In 2022, the ASEAN-India relations were elevated to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Ministry said, India firmly supports ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific . India also supports the priorities set by Lao PDR in its ASEAN Chairmanship for the year 2024 under the theme - ASEAN: Enhancing Conectivity and Resilience.