New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin a two-day visit to Laos on Thursday, where he will attend the ASEAN-India Summit followed by the East Asia Summit. During his visit, Modi will also hold bilateral meetings with key leaders. The visit coincides with the 10th anniversary of India's Act East Policy, which was initiated by Modi, said Jaideep Mazumdar, secretary (East) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), during a media briefing.
In a separate briefing, MEA secretary (Economic Relations) Dammu Ravi announced that President Droupadi Murmu will embark on a visit to three African nations — Algeria, Mauritania, and Malawi — from October 13 to 19. The visit will commence in Algeria, where defence ties between the two nations have recently strengthened. India has opened a defence wing at its Embassy in Algiers, and Algeria has reciprocated by opening a similar wing at its Embassy in New Delhi.
Modi’s participation in the ASEAN Summit will mark his first multilateral engagement with ASEAN leaders during his third term. Over the past decade, India has significantly strengthened ties with the ASEAN countries, focusing on trade, investment, defence, security, connectivity, fintech, heritage conservation, and capacity-building. India also maintains close bilateral relations with several of the 10 ASEAN member states.
The issue of cybercrime, which has recently affected several Indians who were lured by fake recruitment agents and trapped in Southeast Asian nations, including Laos and Cambodia, is expected to be addressed during bilateral discussions with the host nation.
