Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Laos from October 10-11, MEA said in a statement on Tuesday.
PM Modi’s visit to Vientiane is at the invitation of his counterpart, Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The visit coincides with India marking a decade of its Act East Policy this year.
The Prime Minister will attend the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit, both hosted by Laos, which currently holds the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
“India is marking a decade of the Act East Policy this year. Relations with ASEAN are a central pillar of the Act East Policy and our Indo-Pacific vision,” the MEA said in a statement.
The ASEAN-India Summit will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations through the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and outline the future direction of cooperation. The East Asia Summit, a premier leaders-led forum that fosters strategic trust in the region, provides an opportunity for leaders of the EAS participating countries, including India, to exchange views on issues of regional importance.
The Prime Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of both summits.
India’s ties with Southeast Asian countries, rooted in civilizational and cultural linkages, have evolved into a contemporary relationship. These countries are key pillars of India’s ‘Act East’ Policy and its vision for the Indo-Pacific.