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Context: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the 18th India-ASEAN Summit at Brunei, the current Chair of ASEAN.

Highlights of the summit:

• The Summit was held virtually and saw participation from the Leaders of ASEAN Member States.
• Highlighting the milestone of 30th anniversary of India-ASEAN Partnership, the leaders announced the Year 2022 as India-ASEAN Friendship Year.
• Centrality of ASEAN in India's Act East Policy and in India's Vision for the wider Indo-Pacific Vision was emphasized.
• Building upon the synergies between the ASEAN Outlook for the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), adoption of the India-ASEAN Joint Statement on cooperation for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.
• India has contributed medical supplies worth USD 200,000 to ASEAN’s humanitarian initiative for Myanmar and USD 1 million for ASEAN’s Covid-19 Response Fund.

About the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative:

• On 4 November 2019 Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) at the East Asia Summit.
• IPOI seeks to ensure security and stability of the regional maritime
• IPOI is an open, non-treaty based initiative for countries to work together for cooperative and collaborative solutions to common challenges in the region.
• IPOI draws on existing regional architecture and mechanisms to focus on seven pillars:
  • Maritime Security
  • Maritime Ecology
  • Maritime Resources
  • Capacity Building and Resource Sharing
  • Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
  • Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation
  • Trade Connectivity and Maritime Transport
• Australia is the lead partner on the maritime ecology pillar and is looking to drive scientific collaboration and share best practice across the Indo-Pacific on reducing marine pollution, with a focus on plastic waste.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1767289

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