Considering India an important player in the Indo-Pacific, he said the two sides have a common interest in the region's vast maritime area and both can work on "untapped areas of cooperation."
Maritime cooperation was one of the key focus areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) adopted in June 2019.
According to the Secretary-General, a memorandum of understanding between the ASEAN Secretariat and the Indian Ocean Rim Association has been freshly signed. He also expressed his belief in the opportunity for the bloc and India to work together.
During the ASEAN chief's five-day visit to India, which is set to wrap up on February 15, he met with Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar in New Delhi and discussed the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership which was adopted in November 2022. The discussion touched upon a wide range of issues in the marine security area, with its focus placed on increasing trade and investment, tourism and connectivity.
