India attaches high priority to ASEAN’s theme of enhancing connectivity and resilience under the chairmanship of Laos and is working with the partner countries to promote connectivity in the region, the Indian Ambassador to Laos PDR Prashant Agarwal said on June 30, 2024. Notably, Laos is chair of the ASEAN bloc in 2024.
Speaking to an Indian media organisation, Prashant Agarwal said, “Under Laos chairmanship of ASEAN this year, 2024, the theme is connectivity and resilience. And we share the high priority attached to this theme. We have been working with ASEAN in promoting connectivity in several dimensions. He also praised India’s Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative and people to people connectivity ties between the two nations.
“Apart from digital connectivity, I would also like to talk about synergies between India’s own Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative announced by PM Narendra Modi with ASEAN outlook on Indo-Pacific and of course people to people connectivity which has a civilisational and cultural dimension which is also getting boost by booming tourist exchanges. “Lao PDR” bilaterally as well as in the ASEAN framework sees India as net security and stability. In this regard, our interaction is widely welcomed by ASEAN countries including Lao PDR,” the Indian ambassador said.
The Associations of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a political and economic union of ten states in Southeast Asia namely Brunei, Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Agarwal hailed India’s progress in creating digital public infrastructure and said that it is admired widely in the region. He also emphasised that Laos is collaborating to develop DPI with India and regionally with ASEAN countries.
“India’s pathbreaking progress for creating digital public infrastructure and achieving it through financial inclusion is widely admired across this region. Our collaboration is to create digital public infrastructure is a high priority in which we are working bilaterally as well as regionally with ASEAN member countries including Laos bilaterally, the Indian envoy said.
“We have offered special initiatives. We are working on arrangements. The Prime Minister of India announced the digital fund at the ASEAN Summit last year, which is going to be operationalised. So there are specific initiatives taking place in these areas,” he added. The Indian Ambassador also spoke on the recent incidents where some Indian nationals were duped by scammers offering work opportunity there.
Agrawal advised the Indian Youth to exercise utmost caution on being offered job opportunities there and ascertain how genuine and safe these offers are, for which they can contact the Indian embassy Laos PDR. “The Embassy has issued a verry detailed advisory which is being well disseminated and is available on our website also. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has issued a detailed advisory in this regard,” the Indian envoy said.
He added, “Essentially what we want of our youth is to exercise most caution. If they are told of any opportunity in this region, they must do their own diligence and dissidents. We have given our phone number and contact details, they are most welcome to contact us to ascertain whether the offers are bonafide and genuine, if they travel out of India or make payments and so on So that is extremely essential that people exercise utmost caution before accepting any such offers.” Last month, the Indian Embassy in Laos rescued 13 Indians who were lured into illegal work in Laos Prior to this, 17 Indian workers were rescued in Laos and were repatriated to India safely as well.
