PM Modi Leaves for Laos on 2-Day Visit to Attend ASEAN-India, East Asia Summits

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday left Delhi on a two-day visit to Laos to attend the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit at the invitation of his Laotian counterpart Sonexay Siphandone, the current chair of ASEAN.

In a departure statement, PM Modi said, “Today, I am embarking on a two day visit to Vientiane, Lao PDR at the invitation of Prime Minister Mr. Sonexay Siphandone to participate in the 21st ASEAN-India and the 19th East Asia Summit. This year we are marking a decade of our Act East Policy. I will join the ASEAN leaders to review progress in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and chart the future direction of our cooperation.”

The Prime Minister said India shares close cultural and civilisational ties with the region, including with Lao PDR, which are enriched by the shared heritage of Buddhism and Ramayana.

“I look forward to my meetings with the Lao PDR leadership to further strengthen our bilateral ties. I am confident that this visit will further deepen our engagement with ASEAN countries,” PM Modi further said.

The Prime Minister is also expected to hold bilateral meetings on the margins of the summits in Vientiane.

“The ASEAN-India Summit will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations through our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and chart the future direction of cooperation. The East Asia Summit, a premier leaders-led forum that contributes to building an environment of strategic trust in the region, provides an opportunity for leaders of EAS Participating Countries, including India, to exchange views on issues of regional importance,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an earlier statement.