India Supports A Strong ASEAN With Central Role In Indo-Pacific: S Jaishnkar

ASEAN's role today is perhaps more important than ever before given the geopolitical challenges and uncertainties that the world faces, said Foreign Minister S Jaishankar.

India fully supports a strong, unified and prosperous ASEAN with a central role in the Indo-Pacific and both sides should identify a new set of priorities while navigating the "arduous path" arising from developments in Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday.

In his opening address at a special meeting of India-ASEAN foreign ministers in Delhi, Mr Jaishankar talked about the "geopolitical headwinds" triggered by the Ukraine crisis and its knock-on effects on food, energy security, prices of fertilisers and commodities as well as logistics and supply chains.

India is hosting the two-day conclave to mark the 30th anniversary of its relations with the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The conclave is largely expected to explore ways to deal with the adverse impact of the Ukraine crisis on trade, economy and regional security as well as to further broad base two-way ties.

In his remarks, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan slammed Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, saying such actions if unchecked can threaten the "whole system of peace and stability which we have depended on for the basis of our growth, development and prosperity over many decades."