Vice President Dhankhar participates in 17th East Asia Summit in Cambodia

Jagdeep Dhankar, Vice President on Sunday participated in the 17^th East Asia Summit in Phnom  Penh , Cambodia. Dhankar and his wife Sudesh Dhankar arrived on a three-day visit to Cambodia on November 11.

Alongside the 17th East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Jagdeep Dhankhar also met US President Joe Biden. It is important to note that Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, did not go to the East Asia Summit. Despite getting an invitation from the host Indonesia to the G20 leaders’ conference slated for next week, he is not certain to go.

Notably, the East Asia Summit includes eight dialogue partners—India, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and Russia—as well as ASEAN member states Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

The premier venue for strategic discussion in the Indo-Pacific is the East Asia Summit (EAS). It is the only forum led by leaders where all significant Indo-Pacific partners gather to discuss the political, security, and economic issues that the region is currently facing, and it has a significant impact on fostering tighter regional cooperation.

The annual Leaders’ Summit, which often takes place in conjunction with ASEAN Leaders meetings in the fourth quarter of every year, is the culmination of the EAS calendar, according to a statement provided by the Australian government. Leaders also make statements on current events to demonstrate political will for shaping policy responses and to establish a foundation for collaboration.

In addition to the Leaders Summit, the EAS Foreign Ministers and Economic Ministers convene annually.

Meetings between EAS Environment, Energy and Education Ministers are also held from time to time. Almost entirely as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, the 16th East Asia Summit took place on October 27, 2021. Dhankhar took part in the 19th ASEAN-India Summit earlier on November 12 in Phnom Penh.

The ASEAN-India Summit is notable for celebrating the 30th anniversary of dialogue relations between the two nations. In Phnom Penh, Vice President Dhankhar met with Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia. The “wide-ranging” discussions between the two leaders included a variety of topics, including de-mining, human resources, and development initiatives.

In Phnom Penh, Dhankhar and Hun Sen were present when four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were exchanged between India and Cambodia in the fields of culture, wildlife, and health. Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar attended a gathering for the Indian community on November 11 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Speaking on the occasion, VP Dhankhar remarked, “We think of Cambodia as our civilizational sister and extended family, just as we think of Cambodia as the respected land of Lord Buddha.” In Phnom Penh’s Chakto Mukh Conference Hall, Dhankhar and his wife Sudesh Dhankhar attended the painting exhibition of the ASEAN-India Artists Group.