Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar Participates in 17th East Asia Summit in Cambodia

26-08-2023

12:24 PM

1 min read

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar participated in the 17th East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

In Focus: East Asia Summit

EAS is a meeting of 18 regional leaders for strategic dialogue and cooperation on the key political, security, and economic challenges facing the Indo-Pacific region.
- It is the Indo-Pacific's premier forum for strategic dialogue.
It comprises:
- Ten-member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam; and
- Eight dialogue partners of ASEAN - Australia, China, Japan, India, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and United States.
  - The United States and the Russian Federation joined at the 6th East Asia Summit in 2011.
The EAS membership represents around 54% of the world’s population and accounts for 58% of global GDP.

ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership stands on a strong foundation of shared geographical, historical and civilizational ties.
ASEAN is central to India’s Act East Policy and our wider vision of the Indo-Pacific.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations and is being celebrated as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year.
Recently, Vice-President Dhankhar announced an additional contribution of USD 5 million to the ASEAN-India science and technology fund to enhance cooperation in sectors of public health, renewable energy and smart agriculture.

Recently, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar addressed the 17th East Asia Summit (EAS).
- The summit was chaired by Cambodia in its capacity as the ASEAN Chair.
During the summit, he highlighted global concerns on food and energy security.
He also emphasised the role of the EAS mechanism in promoting free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific with freedom of navigation and overflight.

On the sidelines of this summit, Indian Vice President met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.
The Indian Vice President also inaugurated the completed conservation work of Hall of Dancers in Ta Prohm Temple in the Angkor archaeological complex in the Cambodian city of Siem Reap.
- The Hall of Dancers is part of a $4-million collaborative project between India and Cambodia for the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage in Cambodia.

Indian VP said that we are not in the country of our extended neighbourhood, we are in our extended family.
- Cambodians look at India as the revered land of Lord Buddha, just as we think of Cambodia as our civilizational sister & extended family.
Three MoU and one Financing Agreement were exchanged during this meeting. These were:
- Cooperation in the Field of Health and Medicine,
- Cooperation in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Wildlife Management,
- Cooperation in the field of Research, Development and Application of Technology for Digital Documentation of Cultural Heritage
- A Financing Agreement on Conservation and Preservation of Wat Raja Bo Pagoda Paintings in Siem Reap, Cambodia.
The govt of Cambodia is giving importance to de-mining, with the objective of making Cambodia a mine free country by 2025.
In this context, India will be providing a grant assistance for demining in three districts and one commune in the country.
India also announced increase in the number of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation slots for Cambodia, increasing them from 200 to 250 and increase in Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) Scholarships from 30 to 50.

India had already extended a line of credit of US $ 102 million, which is presently under operation. Irrigation and power transmission projects are being undertaken by the Cambodian Government utilizing this line of credit.
Restoration of cultural heritage of Cambodia has been an area in which both the countries have been very extensively engaged.
- India was one of the first countries to come in and do the renovation work at Angkor Wat.
In August 2020, both the countries signed a Government to Government agreement for provision of US dollar 1.5 million grant for provision of demining equipment to the Royal Cambodian armed forces.