On its mission to India, the ASEAN Inter Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) found support for cooperation between the ASEAN executive branch and the Government of India to bring benefits to both sides.
Cheam Yeap, first vice-president of the National Assembly and the 43rd president of the AIPA, met with the vice-president of the Indian Parliament and senior officials of India on 11 August while leading the delegation to India.
At a meeting with the Indian Foreign Minister, the two sides exchanged views on the importance of Indo-ASEAN cooperation, as this year marks the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India friendship.
At bilateral meetings with the vice-president of the Parliament of India, the delegation commended the activities of the Parliament, the oldest observer body of AIPA. Its contributions have helped make AIPA a close and effectively integrated regional inter-parliamentary institution.
AIPA and parliamentary representatives noted their appreciation of the importance of parliamentary diplomacy in actively contributing to ASEAN-India harmonisation. At the meeting, Cheam Yeap also invited his Indian counterpart to attend the 43th AIPA General Assembly, which will be hosted by the National Assembly of Cambodia in November.
The AIPA delegation on also laid a wreath at the monument to Mahatma Gandhi, the anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule, and who went on to inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world.
