Leaders of 10 ASEAN nations to attend R-Day function : Prasad

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New Delhi : The Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology and Law & Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju addressed a function here on December 13, 2017, to celebrate 50 years of ASEAN and 25 years of India-ASEAN Partnership.

Speaking on the occasion, Prasad said the ASEAN countries proudly flaunt their cultural moorings rooted in ancient India. He said the 3 C’s – Culture, Connectivity and Commerce – will shape our ties with the ASEAN bloc. The importance New Delhi attaches to ASEAN is evident from the fact that leaders of all the ten ASEAN member nations will attend our next Republic Day celebrations, he added.

Addressing the gathering, Rijiju said the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has started opening various channels on the borders to foster relations with neighbours particularly in Eastern and North-Eastern Region (NER). The Land Ports Authority of India has taken up expansion of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Moreh in Manipur for expansion of trade with Myanmar, India’s gateway to the ASEAN, and it will be inaugurated soon. He said the ICP in Agartala on Bangladesh border has started and few more ICPs besides Land Customs Stations and Border Haats will be set up, according to a PIB release.