Visits to all Asean member nations show region matters to India

Being interdependent: A fisherman prepares to cast his fishing net in the waters of the Vembanad lake as a container ship is seen docked at a port in Vallarpadam. India is moving forward rapidly on several counts and as a progressive economy, Asean in general and Singapore in particular need the Indian market for further growth. — Reuters

INDIA’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar re-emphasised the importance of India’s Asean partnership with a visit to Singapore, the Philippines and Malaysia in March.

He met the Thai foreign minister in February in India for the 10th Joint Communion and visited Indonesia for the Asean and East Asia Ministerial Summit in July last year, where he met foreign ministers of Indonesia, Laos and Malaysia.