Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi declares 2026 as Asean-India year of Maritime cooperation
- IBEF
- October 27, 2025
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi stated that the India-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is becoming a strong foundation for global stability and growth. In his virtual address at the India-ASEAN Annual Summit, he highlighted that the grouping serves as a key pillar of New Delhi’s Act East Policy. He reaffirmed India’s full support for “ASEAN centrality” and ASEAN’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific, noting that the partnership has shown steady progress even amid global uncertainties. He emphasized that India has consistently stood by its ASEAN partners during crises, with growing collaboration in maritime security and the blue economy. He announced that 2026 would be celebrated as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation.
He added that both sides are advancing cooperation across sectors such as education, tourism, science and technology, health, green energy, and cybersecurity, while also working to preserve shared cultural heritage and strengthen people-to-people ties. ASEAN remains one of the most influential regional groupings, with dialogue partners including India, the United States, China, Japan, and Australia. India’s engagement with ASEAN began with a sectoral partnership in 1992, later evolving into a full dialogue partnership in 1995, a summit-level partnership in 2002, and a strategic partnership in 2012. Over recent years, India-ASEAN relations have significantly deepened, focusing on enhancing trade, investment, security, and defense cooperation.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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