Sushma Swaraj meets Indian diaspora in Singapore

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Sunday met with the delegations of Indian diaspora from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries in Singapore.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman Raveesh Kumar informed about the meeting on Twitter.

"EAM @SushmaSwaraj interacting with delegations of India Diaspora from ASEAN countries. Our diaspora provides a platform for stronger relationship between India and ASEAN countries," he tweeted.

The External Affairs Minister also received blessings from veterans of the Indian National Army during the ASEAN-India Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here.

"EAM @SushmaSwarup received blessings from Shri Ponnampalam and Shri Sockalingam, veterans of the Indian National Army during the ASEAN-India Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Singapore," Kumar added.

Earlier today, Swaraj said as the trilateral highway project from India to Thailand is making considerable progress, New Delhi is planning to extend its connection further with other ASEAN countries.

Swaraj, while addressing the Regional Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations in Singapore said the whole of the South-East Asia is on the rise in partnership with each other and added that ASEAN region is integral to Asia's success and to a possibility of an Asian century.

"Today 16 Indian cities are connected to Singapore, a trilateral highway project from India to Thailand is making progress and we plan to extend this further to connect India with other ASEAN countries," Swaraj said.

Swaraj further highlighted the potential and promises in the defining partnership between India and South-East Asia.

Defining the trade agreement between India and ASEAN nations as the most "ambitious" one, the External Affairs Minister said that the strength of the partnership and the engagement between the two regions lies in the clarity of the principle.

"India and ASEAN future is full of possibility and also of enormous responsibility. Our north-east region will prosper when it is better connected to south-east Asia and when north-east becomes our pitch to South-East Asia, we will be closer to realize our hopes for India and ASEAN ties," she said.

She further stressed on the need to prepare to tackle the common challenges in the region like- creating skills for the digital age, generating jobs in the age of disruption, meeting the need of rapid urbanisation, protecting the biodiversity, making the energy sources cleaner and pulling together the knowledge for productive agriculture.

-ANI