Maritime security key focus at Asean meet

New Delhi: With an eye on increasing Chinese naval assertiveness in the South China Sea, “Maritime Security and Cooperation” will top the agenda of the much-anticipated India-Asean Commemorative Summit in New Delhi on Thursday. There will be a leaders’ retreat session at Rashtrapati Bhavan during which the leaders of the 10 Asean countries will have a “free and frank” discussion on January 25. The theme of the retreat session is “Maritime Security and Cooperation”.

Some experts feel that the meet can be an opportunity for India to present itself as a powerful ally to these countries in the strategic areas of trade and connectivity.

China has maritime disputes with a few Asean nations, including Vietnam and the Philippines, apart from Japan outside the Asean region in East Asia.

Leaders of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) nations will start arriving in the national capital on Wednesday for the Commemorative Summit being organised to mark 25 years of India-Asean cooperation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also interact with the Asean leaders during a “Walk in the Mughal Gardens” of Rashtrapati Bhavan after the retreat session.

A plenary session will conclude official deliberations at the summit on Thursday on the theme —”Shared Values, Common Destiny”.

Prime Minister Modi will hold nine bilateral meetings with leaders of Southeast Asian countries on the sidelines of the summit with a focus on key areas of counter-terrorism, security and connectivity.

In an unprecedented event, all the Asean leaders will also be the chief guests at the Republic Day Parade.

While PM Modi will have separate bilateral meetings with almost all the Asean leaders on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the only exception will be Cambodia, whose PM is expected to have a separate bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister on Saturday.

The 10 Asean members are Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

China has however improved its relations with the Philippines in recent times, but the Asean countries, as a whole, remain wary of the Chinese military might.