Singapore: Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the eighth roundtable conference of ASEAN-'India Network of Think Tanks' in Singapore on Friday. During this, he said that India and the members of ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) are large countries in terms of population and their cooperation is important in solving contemporary issues, ensuring food and health security and dealing with political challenges in the common region like Myanmar. may be important. The theme of the roundtable was 'Guidance in a Changing World: An Agenda for ASEAN-India Cooperation'.
Jaishankar, who is here on a one-day visit, said, “India and ASEAN members are major countries in terms of population, whose emerging demands can not only support each other, but can also become major productive forces in the international economy.” He said that the population of ASEAN and India is more than one-fourth of the world's population. Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. “Our consumer demand and lifestyle choices are themselves going to drive the economy,” he said.
Services and connectivity will also get shape
Jaishankar said they will also shape the scale and 'connectivity' of services as we promote trade, tourism, easy inter-country movement and education. The scope of our efforts extends far beyond the immediate area,” he said, adding, “Collaboration can also be important in addressing contemporary challenges. Ensuring food security in an era of extreme climate change is a matter of great concern. Similarly, health security preparedness is no less important with the experience of global pandemics. Jaishankar said that there are and will be political challenges in a common region like Myanmar, which India and ASEAN will have to solve together. “The situation in Myanmar today is a prime example of this,” he said. The interest of those who are close and I can say that their viewpoint is always difficult. ' He stressed, “We do not have the luxury of distance or time. This is increasingly the case in terms of HADR (humanitarian assistance and disaster relief) situations as well as maritime safety and security.” (Language)
Image Credit: IndiaTv