Vietnam PM calls for stronger economic links, maritime cooperation to boost ASEAN-India partnership
Pham Minh Chinh urges enhanced trade connectivity, sustainable blue economy, and people to people ties to advance ASEAN-India strategic relations
India, Oct 27 : Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Sunday proposed a comprehensive roadmap to deepen the ASEAN-India partnership, focusing on three major pillars economic connectivity, people-to-people cooperation, and maritime collaboration. The remarks came during his address at the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, according to Vietnam News.
Emphasizing the importance of mutual growth, Chinh urged both sides to strengthen economic connectivity by leveraging comparative advantages for sustainable and inclusive development. He called for expanding cooperation in education, healthcare, culture, and tourism to enhance people-to-people exchanges across the region.
On maritime cooperation, the Vietnamese PM highlighted the need to develop a sustainable blue economy and deepen collaboration in maritime transport, science, and industry. He also underscored support for ASEAN’s stance on the East Sea, calling for peace, security, and freedom of navigation in accordance with international law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
Chinh proposed empowering small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), restructuring the ASEAN-India Business Council, and boosting investments in high technology, renewable energy, infrastructure, logistics, artificial intelligence (AI), and semiconductors. He also called for enhancing Mekong Ganga subregional cooperation to bridge development gaps.
Acknowledging India’s growing role in the Indo-Pacific, Chinh praised India for promoting regional collaboration and amplifying the voice of developing nations on the global stage. He reaffirmed Vietnam’s support for India’s “Act East” policy, describing ASEAN and India as “strategic anchors” linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans with a combined population of over 2 billion and a total GDP nearing USD 8 trillion.
During the summit, leaders agreed to accelerate the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to make it more business-friendly and effective. The ASEAN-India Action Plan 2026–2030 was also adopted, focusing on digital innovation, clean energy, sustainable infrastructure, education, food security, and healthcare.
Concluding the summit, ASEAN and Indian leaders adopted a Joint Statement on Sustainable Tourism, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening substantive, inclusive, and sustainable cooperation in the years ahead.
