India has decided to nearly double scholarships for ASEAN students at Nalanda University, Secretary East in the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaideep Mazumdar, announced on Friday.
Addressing a special press briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Laos, Mazumdar stated that India has emphasized that secure, resilient, and reliable supply chains are crucial aspects of its ties with ASEAN nations.
He said, “Another important initiative is the ASEAN-India Women’s Scientist Conclave, which we have decided to institutionalize and fund from the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund. The number of scholarships from Nalanda University will be nearly doubled for ASEAN students. We also emphasized that secure, resilient, and reliable supply chains are vital to our relations with ASEAN countries.”
“To support this, we will expedite discussions on reviewing the ASEAN-India Free Trade and Goods Agreement by 2025. Additionally, we will contribute USD 5 million towards disaster resilience. The National Disaster Management Authority and the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance have a working relationship and an MOU, and they will collaborate on this initiative. In the health sector, we will institute a new health ministers’ track and a cooperative framework for ASEAN countries to access India’s national cancer grid, Vishwam,” he further stated.
Jaideep Mazumdar also mentioned that PM Modi invited ASEAN leaders to participate in the tree plantation campaign of planting a tree for mothers. Earlier in June, PM Modi launched the tree plantation campaign “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” (one tree for mother) at Buddha Jayanti Park.
“Towards climate resilience, the Prime Minister invited ASEAN leaders to join the campaign to plant a tree for mothers,” he said.
Speaking about the two initiatives adopted at the leaders’ level during the ASEAN-India Summit, Mazumdar stated, “The 21st ASEAN-India Summit adopted two declarations and two statements at the leaders’ level. One was a statement on the Act East policy and its contribution to ASEAN-India relations, and the other on advancing digital transformation in the region.”
“As you know, Singapore has been our coordinator in ASEAN for the past three years. The Prime Minister appreciated Singapore’s role and welcomed the Philippines as our coordinator for the next three years,” he added.
The MEA Secretary noted that PM Modi, while addressing the East Asia Summit, conveyed India’s support for ASEAN unity and centrality. Mazumdar stated, “At the East Asia Summit this morning, the Prime Minister conveyed India’s support for ASEAN unity and centrality, as well as ASEAN’s importance as a central pillar of our Indo-Pacific vision and Quad cooperation. The East Asia Summit is also a significant pillar of India’s Act-East policy.”
He also highlighted the developmental partnership shared by India and Laos. The MEA Secretary mentioned that India and the US engage in capacity building and humanitarian assistance extended by India during calamities, such as typhoons and landslides, in the past.
Highlighting ties between India and Laos, Jaideep Mazumdar said, “We have a very positive developmental partnership with Lao PDR. We engage in capacity building and, as you know, provide humanitarian assistance during calamities and typhoons. We have also had defense cooperation in terms of training, and we look forward to continuing that.”
He added, “Students from Lao PDR are studying at Nalanda University and other institutions in India. We are opening our premier institutions to offer scholarships for students from ASEAN. A new area we have opened up is agriculture, which is another field where students from Lao PDR can participate. Overall, the cultural and heritage links we have with Lao PDR are significant and contribute greatly to our people-to-people connections.”
Prime Minister Modi was on a two-day visit to Laos from October 10-11, at the invitation of his Lao counterpart Sonexay Siphandone. He participated in the 21st ASEAN-India and the 19th East Asia Summits and held meetings with leaders from Laos, Thailand, and New Zealand.
He also met with other top leaders, including South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister was welcomed by the Minister of Home Affairs of Laos, Vilayvong Bouddakham, and accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour in Vientiane. Following this, he interacted with the Indian diaspora in Vientiane, greeting community members who were excited to meet him outside the hotel.
(ANI)