A decision to this regard was taken during the East Asia Summit Senior Officials’ Meeting in Vientiane, Lao PDR
India will host the 6th East Asian Summit (EAS) conference on Maritime Security Cooperation in Mumbai on July4-5.

The decision to this regard was taken during the East Asia Summit Senior Officials’ Meeting (EAS SOM) on June 7-8 in Vientiane, Lao PDR, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement released on Sunday.

The meet was participated by 10 ASEAN member states and eight dialogue partners of ASEAN such as India, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the US.

They discussed strengthening of the leaders-led EAS platform, implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP), and regional and international issues such as South China Sea, Gaza, Ukraine, Korean Peninsula and Myanmar, the MEA said.

Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar, who represented India at the EAS SOM in his intervention, stressed on the key role played by EAS as the premier mechanism to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

He noted the strong convergence between the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) and the AOIP.

The EAS SOM was chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister of Lao PDR, Thongphane Savanphet, the MEA said.

Lao PDR, the current Chair of ASEAN, also hosted the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials’ Meeting (ARF SOM) on June 8, 2024. India at the meet was represented by Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar.

Activities and exchanges under ARF over the past year were reviewed and future plans and activities were discussed at the meeting.

Senior Officials exchanged views on regional and international developments, as well as issues related to maritime and cyber security, among others.

The Secretary (East) appreciated the role of the ASEAN-led mechanisms, and ARF in particular, in the emerging regional architecture for promoting mutual trust and understanding in the region.

He shared our concern about the threats posed by terrorism and called for collective action in this regard.

Participants appreciated the co-chairing by India of the 15th ARF Inter-sessional Meeting on Maritime Security along with Indonesia and the United States in May 2024.

India has also been leading the training module on International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, along with the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and the United States, the MEA added.

During the visit, Secretary (East) Jaideep Mazumdar held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Lao PDR, Japan, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, Philippines, and the European Union. Bilateral cooperation was reviewed and perspectives on the region were shared during the meetings, the MEA maintained.