(VNA) – Leaders of India and ASEAN member countries highlighted the strong development and important results of the ASEAN-India partnership at the Commemorative Summit to mark the partnership’s 20th anniversary in New Delhi yesterday. Themed ‘ASEAN – India partnership for Peace and Joint Prosperity’, leaders of India and ASEAN member countries highlighted important results of the ASEAN-India partnership over the past 20 years contributing to strengthening understanding and trust among involved countries and to regional peace, stability, and development. The Summit adopted a Declaration of Vision which aims to lift bilateral ties to strategic partnership level. The document also defines major directions for the development of ASEAN-India relations and the effective and full implementation of their cooperation in various fields ranging from politics and  security to culture, society, and development cooperation.

PM Nguyen Tan Dung and leaders of other ASEAN countries and India

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attended the summit’s plenary session saying that Vietnam will actively contribute to boosting the ASEAN – India partnership in the coming years as it is strategically important to regional peace, stability and development. He said ASEAN and India need to prioritize cooperation in politics and security through regional frameworks and mechanisms. Dung called on India to continue cooperating with ASEAN, to support its central role, and to contribute more to current cooperative mechanisms including the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting, and ASEAN Maritime Forum. He said both sides should further promote the bilateral dialogue and cooperative ties in a more practical and effective manner.