Jakarta, Aug 6 (IANS) India’s steadfast support for ASEAN Centrality and community-building efforts, as well as its active participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms and fora, came in for huge praise from ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn during his meeting with newly-appointed Indian Ambassador Srinivas Gotru, on Wednesday.
Gotru assumed office as India’s Ambassador to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), bestowing his Letter of Credence to the Secretary General of ASEAN, at the grouping’s headquarters.
Congratulating Ambassador Gotru, ASEAN Secretary General reiterated the Secretariat’s readiness to work closely with the Indian Ambassador along with the Indian Mission to ASEAN in Jakarta, while further strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
“Secretary-General Dr. Kao commended India’s steadfast support for ASEAN Centrality and Community-building efforts as well as its active participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms and fora,” read a statement issued by the Secretary General’s office.
Gotru, while underscoring his commitment to deepen the ASEAN-India CSP, ensured “seamless” continuation of efforts in fostering stronger ties between India and ASEAN and expressed his willingness to work closely with the ASEAN Secretariat to facilitate the advancement of cooperation.
Ambassador Gotru succeeds Ambassador Jayant N. Khobragade, who completed his tenure on August 2. India began accrediting an Ambassador to ASEAN in 2010, and established a dedicated diplomatic Mission to ASEAN in 2015.
India began formal engagement with ASEAN in 1992 as a ‘Sectoral Dialogue Partner’ (Secretary level interaction) and subsequently as a ‘Dialogue Partner’ in 1995. The initial years as a Dialogue Partner (DP) entailed interaction at the Foreign Minister-level which was further upgraded to the Summit level in 2002.
At the 20th anniversary of the relationship, a Commemorative Summit was held in New Delhi in December 2012 where the Dialogue Partnership was further elevated to a Strategic Partnership.
During the 25-year Commemorative Summit held in New Delhi in January 2018, India and ASEAN further agreed that the strategic partnership will be focused inter-alia on building cooperation in the maritime domain.
The year 2022 marked 30 years of ASEAN-India relations and it was celebrated as the ‘ASEAN-India Friendship Year’. Its most important outcome was the elevation of the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership to CSP.
–IANS
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