PM Modi’s successful visit to Lao PDR: Some Indicators

He was also recognised as the only leader to have participated in the greatest number of East Asia Summits, the count is nine out of 19! As the event also coincided with completion of a decade of India’s Act East policy, it was only fitting that PM Modi also participated in the 21st ASEAN-India Summit. While outcomes of the visit are still being assessed, the most notable aspect of the visit was the bilateral aspect of the engagements. Going by statistics, this is the 11th time that PM Modi has attended these events. It demonstrates India's intense focus as well as commitment to both the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the East Asia process. During the ASEAN-India Summit, ASEAN leaders and the Prime Minister reviewed the state of bilateral relations and praised cooperation in many areas of diverse collaboration arising from India's ‘Act East’ policy. Additionally, they mentioned India's leadership role in building digital public infrastructure in ASEAN.

Speaking at the 19^th EAS, PM Modi noted that India had always supported ASEAN unity, adding that the region is “at the centre” of India's Indo-Pacific vision and Quad cooperation. He used the EAS platform to reiterate his call for the restoration of peace and stability in Eurasia and West Asia, noting that these conflicts were having the most negative impact on the countries of the Global South. Set against the recent Quad Summit in Wilmington Delaware (21 He highlighted that there were deep parallels between India's ‘Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative and the ‘ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific’ and added that a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific was vital for the peace and progress of the entire region.

That is the larger context in which bilateral talks between PM Modi and his Lao PDR counterpart, Sonexay Siphandone, were held in Vientiane. The official release after the visit shows that both Prime Ministers held productive talks on further strengthening India-Laos civilizational and contemporary ties. Pertinently, the historical and civilizational links have been successfully recalled and strengthened. Both leaders also discussed various aspects of bilateral cooperation such as the development partnership, capacity building, disaster management, renewable energy, heritage restoration, economic ties, defence collaboration, and people-to-people ties.

Following bilateral talks, MoUs/Agreement in the fields of defence, broadcasting, Customs cooperation, and three Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) under Mekong-Ganga Cooperation were signed and exchanged. All three QIPs, with grant assistance of US$ 50,000 each, are for preservation of the heritage of the Lao Ramayana, restoration of Wat Pakea Buddhist temple with murals related to Ramayana, and support to shadow puppetry theatre on Ramayana in Champasak province. Bilateral cultural and civilizational links were strengthened when the two leaders noted that ongoing restoration and conservation of Vat Phou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with assistance from the Archaeological Survey of India, was going well.

India will also provide grant assistance of about US$ 1 million to improve nutrition security in Lao PDR. This assistance channelled through the India UN Development Partnership Fund is the Fund's first such project in South-East Asia. Only recently, India provided flood relief assistance to Lao PDR in the aftermath of Typhoon Yagi. Prime Minister Siphandone thanked Prime Minister Modi for India's assistance in this regard. Two Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction at the close cooperation between the countries in regional and multilateral fora. PM Siphandone reaffirmed India's role on the international stage. India has strongly supported Lao PDR's Chairmanship of ASEAN for 2024. Pertinently, Lao PDR has been the Country-Coordinator for India in ASEAN for three years from July 2003, during which Laos played a pivotal role in coordinating and further strengthening India’s ties with ASEAN. On its part, India has undertaken several initiatives to push for Lao PDR as ASEAN Chair in 2024. One instance of this is the path-breaking role played by India in creating digital public infrastructure and the other is achieving financial inclusion in ASEAN. Creating digital infrastructure is a shared high priority for which India has been working both bilaterally as well as regionally, with ASEAN member countries, including Lao PDR.

Congratulating Lao PDR for the successful stewardship of ASEAN, PM Modi announced a 10-point special plan to strengthen connectivity and resilience with ASEAN. One of the initiatives announced includes, celebrating next year as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism. ASEAN leaders welcomed this as a very positive development. It was also announced that India will contribute US$ 5 million towards joint cooperative activities in this area. To mark completion of a decade of India’s ‘Act East’ policy, several people-to-people and people-centric initiatives were announced. One of them is a Youth Summit. Another is a music festival of ASEAN bands with Indian bands. There will also be an Artist Camp. A Hackathon, Startup Festival, the Delhi Dialogue has been announced for next month. The ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks will also meet next month.

Historically, India’s cultural links with ASEAN cover both Hindu and Buddhist influences. One legend has it that King Ashoka’s emissaries brought a relic of the Buddha to Laos, believed to be underneath the Pha That Luang, Laos’ national monument in Vientiane. The other historical connect is Vat Phou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an ancient Khmer Hindu temple complex in southern Laos and in ancient times was known as the Shiva temple of Bhadreshwara. The Ramayana, known locally as Ramakien or the Story of Phra Lak Phra Ram, is performed on auspicious occasions. Lao PDR has developed, almost as a fine art, its own version of the Hindu epic Ramayana in ballet form. These traditional and cultural links are evident even today in various ways in Lao PDR religion, with a sprinkling of both Buddhist and Hindu influences and can be seen in language (with roots in Sanskrit and Pali), art and architecture, philosophy, customs and social ethos.

With 20% of India’s diaspora worldwide living in the ASEAN region, the India-ASEAN connect is important. Notably, India currently has direct flights with seven members of the 10-state bloc, and direct flight connectivity with two more countries is expected to be established by the end of the year. It is, therefore, important for India to continue working with countries in the bilateral and multilateral format. PM Modi’s Lao PDR visit provides the ideal opportunity to revisit the Act East policy and reinvigorate the relationship to take it to a new dimension and level.