Vientiane

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his two-day visit to Laos, became the first leader to be invited to address the East Asia Summit (EAS) after the host and incoming chair, Laos. This visit is significant as it marks a decade of India’s Act East Policy.

Modi emphasized the importance of the EAS as a key pillar of this policy and India's commitment to ASEAN unity and centrality. He highlighted that ASEAN is central to India’s Indo-Pacific vision and Quad cooperation. Modi also drew parallels between India’s “Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative” and ASEAN's “Outlook on Indo-Pacific,” stressing the need for a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific for regional peace and progress.

Took part in the 19th East Asia Summit being in Vientiane, Lao PDR. India attaches great importance to friendly relations with ASEAN. We are committed to adding even more momentum to this relation in the times to come. Our Act East Policy has led to substantial gains and have… pic.twitter.com/3kOn170zAN

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 11, 2024

Modi’s address also underscored India's commitment to the revival of Nalanda University, a promise made during a previous EAS, which was fulfilled with the inauguration of its new campus. He invited all participating countries to a Heads of Higher Education Conclave to be held in Nalanda, underscoring the university’s symbolic importance in India's regional engagement.

The summit provided an opportunity to deliberate on issues of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, with Modi expressing concerns about conflicts in West Asia and other global regions. He reiterated his stance that “this is not an era of war” and emphasized the need for dialogue, diplomacy, and respect for international laws, particularly in the context of conflicts affecting the Global South. Modi also highlighted the importance of a peaceful and stable South China Sea, calling for a code of conduct that ensures freedom of navigation and airspace in line with international agreements like UNCLOS.

During his visit, Modi met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the summit, offering condolences for the loss of lives in the US due to Hurricane Milton. He also engaged with the Indian diaspora in Vientiane and witnessed a performance of the Lao version of the Ramayana, Phalak Phalam, reflecting the cultural ties between India and Laos.

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In his concluding remarks, Modi congratulated Laos for successfully hosting the summit and extended his support to Malaysia, the incoming chair of the EAS, while reaffirming India’s commitment to working towards global peace, combating terrorism, and strengthening cooperation in cyber, maritime, and space domains.