India committed to peaceful Indo Pacific region: PM

Singapore: India was committed to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he called for enhancing multilateral cooperation, economic and cultural ties among member nations at the 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore. It was Prime Minister Modi’s 5th East Asia Summit (EAS). Singapore: India was committed to a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday as he called for enhancing multilateral cooperation, economic and cultural ties among member nations at the 13th East Asia Summit in Singapore. It was Prime Minister Modi’s 5th East Asia Summit (EAS). India has been participating in the EAS since its very inception in 2005. “At the East Asia Summit in Singapore, I shared my thoughts on enhancing multilateral cooperation, economic and cultural ties among member nations. Also reiterated India’s commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Pacific region,” the prime minister tweeted. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s vision of a peaceful, open and inclusive Indo Pacific region, strengthening maritime cooperation and commitment to a balanced Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact, Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Raveesh Kumar said. The RCEP, involving 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) as well as China, Japan, Australia, India, New Zealand and South Korea, would cover about half the world’s population and a third of its GDP. Prime Minister Modi also interacted with leaders of other countries, including his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, before the East Asia Summit Retreat. Later, the EAS leaders posed for a customary group photograph. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi participated in the ASEAN-India Breakfast Summit where he underlined the need for maritime cooperation and centrality of trade for the prosperity of the strategic Indo-Pacific region. “Had a great interaction with ASEAN leaders at the ASEAN-India Informal Breakfast Summit. We are happy that ties with ASEAN are strong and are contributing to a peaceful and prosperous planet,” Modi tweeted. Prime Minister Modi also held separate bilateral meetings with US Vice President Mike Pence and the premiers of Singapore, Australia and Thailand. (PTI)