JAKARTA: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has stated that Asean and India should leverage their friendly relationships with other nations to facilitate dialogue and collaborative efforts in resolving the South China Sea dispute. The Malaysian Prime Minister emphasized the importance of India as a strategic ally for Malaysia and Asean. During the 20th Asean-India Summit held in conjunction with the 43rd Asean Summit, Anwar expressed that using their cordial links is crucial in promoting cooperation, peaceful coexistence, and resolving the South China Sea issue.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the significance of this year’s summit theme, “Asean Matters: Epicentrum of Growth,” by emphasizing that everyone’s voice is heard in Asean. Modi also acknowledged the role of Asean as the epicenter of global growth. Moreover, Anwar congratulated Modi on India’s historic accomplishment of landing a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon in August, the first nation to achieve such a feat in that area. Anwar expressed pride in being part of the Asian and Asean venture.
Anwar also commended India’s achievements in enhancing online access and digital banking, even in rural areas. He welcomed the progress review of the Asean-India Trade in Goods Agreement and urged both parties to work towards its conclusion by 2025 in order to fully exploit the economic potential of their relations. Anwar also believed that Asean can benefit from India’s expertise in smart farming, particularly in the context of food security and the challenges posed by climate change.
Furthermore, Anwar emphasized the need for Asean and India to collaborate on addressing climate change by developing a proactive agenda that promotes inclusive and sustainable growth. This includes extended cooperation in renewable energy, water management, and forest biodiversity conservation.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
