These annual meetings of ASEAN with their
dialogue partners are being hosted this year by Lao PDR, the ASEAN Chair for
2024.
EAS EMM witnesses participation by Economic Ministers of 10 ASEAN
countries and 8 other EAS partners viz. India, USA, Russia, China, Japan, Korea,
Australia and New Zealand.
In the AEM-India meeting, the Ministers will
review the progress in negotiations for review of
ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA). The review of
AITIGA is high on our priority to make it more user friendly, simple and trade
facilitative for businesses. In EAS EMM, the Ministers will deliberate on
regional and global economic developments. India is the founding member of East
Asia Summit Forum which is completing its two decades next year.
Minister Goyal will have a number of bilateral meetings with his
counterparts from participating countries on the sidelines of two institutional
meetings. Meetings have been
scheduled with the Minister of host country Lao PDR and visiting Ministers from
Korea, Malaysia, Switzerland and Myanmar. Minister will also meet ASEAN
Secretary General and President of ERIA, a premier research institute for Asia
and Pacific. Minister will also have an interaction with the Indian diaspora in
Lao PDR and will also meet a visiting industry delegation from India as well as
ASEAN.
India joined ASEAN in 1992 and became its
Comprehensive Strategic Partner in 2022. ASEAN is at the heart of India’s Act
East Policy, announced by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in
2014.
ASEAN is one of India’s most
important trading partners. For the last two consecutive years, ASEAN has been
India’s second largest trading partner.