Minister of State in External Affairs, Pabitra Margherita, stated that ASEAN is the cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy and the Indo-Pacific vision and India firmly supports ASEAN Unity and ASEAN Centrality. In his Opening Remarks at ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Mr Margherita said the synergy between ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) augurs well for the region. He added that India-ASEAN partnership is thriving on strong people-to-people linkages. The Minister pointed out that the priority India attaches to ASEAN led mechanisms is reflected in increasing practical cooperation across political-security, economic and socio-cultural domains. He extended his deep appreciation to all ASEAN Foreign Ministers for special efforts towards strengthening ASEAN-India relations through substantive and tangible cooperation.