India participates in East Asia Summit Senior Officials' meet by Cambodia

Ministry of External Affairs official and Former Ambassador to Myanmar and Iran, Saurabh Kumar took part in the East Asia Summit Senior Officials' meeting on Wednesday over a videoconference chaired by Cambodia as ASEAN Chair.

"SecretaryEast @AmbSaurabhKumar participated in the East Asia Summit Senior Officials' Meeting today chaired by Cambodia as ASEAN Chair, tweeted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

The meeting also discussed issues of regional and international importance, he added, continuing the thread.

The talks with several high-level delegations underlined the key role of the East Asia Summit(EAS) as a leading mechanism for the promotion of a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific with ASEAN at its centre.

India as a part of its strategic vision envisages a free, open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific with respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations and peaceful settlement of issues through mutual co-operation.

East Asia Summit focuses on seven pillars for cooperation and collaboration namely maritime security, maritime ecology, maritime resources, capacity building and resource sharing, disaster risk reduction and management, science, technology and academic cooperation and trade, connectivity and maritime transport with an aim to fulfil the over-arching and converging interests in the Indo-Pacific.

These, together with India's commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and customary law of the seas, provide a direction and a framework for efforts to enhance public good in the broader Indo-Pacific.

The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a premier leaders-led forum to exchange views on strategic issues in the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier, the EAS conference was first initiated in 2015 and the first conference was held in New Delhi. The second was held in Goa in 2017, the third in Bhubaneswar in 2018, and the fourth in Chennai last year.

Since its inception in 2005, EAS has been playing an important role in negating issues related to traditional and non-traditional security challenges in the region.