Jaishankar visits 12th century Ta Prohm Temple in Cambodia
Aug 03, 2022
New Delhi [India], August 3 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited the 12th century Ta Prohm Temple in Siem Reap of Cambodia on Wednesday.
Jaishankar arrived in Cambodia today to attend the ASEAN-India ministerial meeting.
"Arrived in Cambodia for the India-ASEAN Ministerial meeting. Started in Siem Reap where our @ASIGoI experts are doing extraordinary work. MEA is proud to support these efforts. Visited the 12th century Ta Prohm Temple currently undergoing conservation," Jaishankar tweeted.
The External Affairs Minister is in Cambodia from August 3-4 during the period he will take stock of the ASEAN-India partnership.
"External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar will be visiting Cambodia from August 3-4, 2022," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
"During the visit, EAM will attend the ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting in Phnom Penh, an annual event that takes stock of the ASEAN-India partnership," the ministry added.
This visit comes more than a month after India hosted ASEAN Foreign Ministers and Secretary General for a Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers' Meeting (SAIFMM) on 16-17 June to commemorate 30 years of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations.
In recognition of this milestone, the year 2022 is being celebrated as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year as announced by ASEAN and Indian leaders at the 18th ASEAN-India Summit in October 2021.
The SAIFMM was co-chaired by Jaishankar and Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.
The meeting was also attended by Foreign Ministers of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam and representatives of Foreign Ministers from Laos, Philippines, and Thailand along with the Secretary General of ASEAN.
The ministers reviewed the status of the ASEAN-India Partnership and set out the path for the coming decade. The discussions included key focus areas of Covid-19 and Health, Trade and Commerce, and Connectivity as well as the implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
The ministers also exchanged views on important regional and international developments and post-pandemic economic recovery. The Meeting unanimously adopted the Co-Chairs' Statement. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers' and ASEAN Secretary-General also called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Overall, the meetings were held in an atmosphere of friendship and cooperation and underlined the importance India attaches to its relations with ASEAN, as exemplified through its Act East Policy and the centrality of ASEAN in its vision for the wider Indo-Pacific, the MEA said.
