India to host ASEAN foreign ministers next week

New Delhi: India will host the foreign ministers of ASEAN nations from June 16 to 17 to mark the 30th anniversary of its relations with the 10-nation grouping.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson ArindamBagchi said Myanmar’s participation at the ASEAN-India foreign ministers’ meeting would be based on the rules of the grouping, which is seen as an indication that the country’s foreign minister is unlikely to be in New Delhi.

The position of the ASEAN on engaging Myanmar at multilateral forums following the military coup in that country last year has been that it should be at the non-political level.

“India will host the Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (SAIFMM) on June 16 to 17 to mark the 30th anniversary of our dialogue relations and the 10th anniversary of our strategic partnership with the ASEAN,” Bagchi said at a media briefing. He said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan will co-chair the meeting.

The foreign minister of Singapore is India’s country coordinator in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations). Bagchi said foreign ministers of other ASEAN member states and the ASEAN secretary-general will participate in the SAIFMM.