NEW DELHI, Aug 20 — India has urged for a renewed and modernised partnership with Asean, stressing the need to adapt their cooperation to effectively tackle today’s challenges.
India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that key areas requiring a rethink include physical connectivity, power grids, and digital collaboration, to keep pace with the changing global landscape.
"A decade ago, topics such as climate and maritime security did not matter that much. Now, we are discussing these issues with several Asean countries, and tomorrow, we will do the same with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is here on an official visit," he told the press yesterday.
These insights were shared during a session with media representatives from the Indo-Pacific countries visiting India under the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) Familiarisation Visit, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The QUAD is a plurilateral framework comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the United States (US).
QUAD countries share a commitment to uphold a free, open, prosperous, and peaceful Indo-Pacific region, based on the principles of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, and the rules-based international order.
Jaishankar also highlighted the importance of continuously adding valuable partners, refreshing partnerships, and consistently striving to do more, despite evolving times and rising challenges.
On the same note, he pointed out Asean's significance as a collective platform, essential not only for India but globally, as it brings together diverse nations from across the world.
He also mentioned India’s efforts to utilise platforms like Asean to their advantage, including initiatives such as the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative.
Malaysia, which last assumed Asean chairmanship in 2015, is set to take over the chair next year, following Laos.
During the session, Jaishankar also spoke about how QUAD has increasingly played a crucial role in the Indo-Pacific region, with a broad agenda encompassing maritime security, resilient supply chains, climate action, technology collaboration, and rapid disaster response.
On another note, he dismissed any notion of the QUAD being overshadowed by AUKUS, emphasising that both are fundamentally different entities.
"They are completely different things meant for different purposes with different players," Jaishankar said.
AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership between the United Kingdom, the US and Australia, agreed in 2021, which is intended to strengthen the ability of each government to support security and defence interests, building on longstanding and ongoing bilateral ties.
A total of 23 media representatives including journalists from Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Laos, South Africa, Solomon, and Tuvalu participated in the visit, covering the major cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.
It aims not only to showcase India's rich cultural heritage but also to familiarise the delegates with the important developments and initiatives that are shaping the country in the 21st century.
— Bernama
