(VOVWORLD) -Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, together with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA |
In his address at the Summit, Prime Minister Chinh affirmed that Vietnam supports India’s "Act East" policy and its comprehensive and substantive cooperation with ASEAN.
To deepen the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Prime Minister proposed three major orientations. First, strengthening economic connectivity, promoting comparative advantages for sustainable and inclusive development; promoting the role of enterprises, especially small and medium enterprises; restructuring the ASEAN-India Business Council; boosting investment in high technology, renewable energy, infrastructure, logistics, AI and semiconductors; and enhancing cooperation in the Mekong-Ganga sub-region to narrow the development gap.
Second, PM Chinh stressed the need to expand people-to-people exchanges, cooperation in education, health, culture, and tourism; develop high-quality human resources; increase exchanges of scholars, students, and experts in smart agriculture, green technology, and food security.
Third, he suggested promoting maritime cooperation, developing a blue and sustainable marine economy; strengthening cooperation in transport, science, and marine industry; and continuing to support ASEAN's stance on the East Sea of security, safety, freedom of navigation, and peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law.
 Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit. Photo: Duong Giang/VNA |
At the end of the Summit, the leaders adopted a Joint Statement on Sustainable Tourism, affirming their determination to promote substantive, inclusive and sustainable cooperation between ASEAN and India in the new period.