 "Secretary (East) P. Kumaran led the delegation at the East Asia Summit Senior Officials' Meeting held in Penang, Malaysia. Image Courtesy: X/@MEAIndia")
Periasamy Kumaran, Joint Secretary at India’s Ministry of External Affairs, on Tuesday briefed senior ASEAN officials on Operation Sindoor during the East Asia Summit Senior Officials’ Meeting (EAS SOM) held in Penang, Malaysia.
Kumaran’s briefing came as part of India’s wider engagement at two back-to-back regional forums - the EAS SOM on June 10 and the ASEAN Regional Forum Senior Officials’ Meeting (ARF SOM) on June 11.
Both meetings were chaired by Dato’ Sri Amran Mohamed Zin, Secretary General of Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and brought together senior representatives from member countries.
“During the EAS SOM, Kumaran underlined the East Asia Summit’s key role in fostering peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific. He highlighted the convergence between India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) and ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), and voiced India’s support for the proposed outcome documents for the 20th EAS. He also discussed a range of regional and global issues with other delegates,” said MEA in a statement.
Kumaran invited member states to participate in upcoming Indian-hosted events, including the EAS Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Energy Efficiency under the Mission LiFE programme, and a conclave of EAS Heads of Higher Education Institutions at Nalanda University.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAt the ARF SOM, discussions centered on enhancing cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, maritime security, and cyber security.
Addressing the forum, Kumaran voiced India’s concern over state-sponsored terrorism, citing the April 22 terror attack in , Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
He described India’s military response ‘Operation Sindoor’ as “measured, proportionate, non-escalatory, and responsible.”
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Kumaran also held bilateral meetings with senior officials from Australia, Brunei, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Singapore during his visit.
The meetings come amid reports that Pakistan is seeking full dialogue partner status in ASEAN through Malaysia, adding a layer of geopolitical significance to India’s outreach.
With inputs from agencies