Krishna to participate in ninth India-ASEAN post-ministerial conference in Bali

New Delhi, July 20 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S.M Krishna will participate in the ninth India-ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Consultations and the ASEAN regional forum ministerial meeting in Bali, Indonesia from July 22-23.

The India-ASEAN ministerial meeting will review ASEAN-India cooperation and deliberate on its future direction, particularly in the context of the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit to be hosted in New Delhi in December 2012.

The ministers will also exchange views on regional and international issues of interest to ASEAN and India.

The East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Consultations will focus on the review and future direction of EAS and the preparations for the 6th East Asia Summit in November 2011 in Bali, Indonesia.

The Foreign Ministers will also exchange views on regional and international issues.

India became a sectoral partner of ASEAN in 1992, and a full dialogue partner in 1996 after signing the Treaty on Amity and Cooperation with ASEAN.

The first summit level meeting took place with ASEAN leaders in 2002. India and ASEAN adopted a Plan of Action for the period 2010-15 during the 8th ASEAN-India Summit held on October 30, 2010 at Hanoi.

The Indian Parliament has Observer Status in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly. India would be hosting the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in December 2012 to celebrate these 20 years of partnership, an official release said. (ANI)