India inaugurates ASEAN Study Centre in Sillong city
An ASEAN Study Centre was inaugurated in North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) in Shillong, the capital city of India’s Meghalaya State on August 8.
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The idea of setting up the facility was first introduced India by Prime Minster Narendra Modi in his speech at the 13th ASEAN-India Summit in Kuala Lumpur last November.
The establishment of the centre is part of the country’s “Act East” policy, according to Preeti Saran, First Secretary for East of the Indian Foreign Ministry.
It will serve the all the stakeholders in Northeastern India and ASEAN by facilitating ASEAN-India research projects, studies, workshops and related activities as a documentation centre of the partnership between Northeastern India and ASEAN, she said.
Vietnamese Ambassador to India Ton Sinh Thanh stated that as the coordinator of the ASEAN-India relations for the 2015-2018 period, Vietnam believes that the facility will help enhance the public awareness of the ASEAN among the community in India, especially in its northeastern region.
On the occasion, the diplomat presented the centre with a number of publications on Vietnam.
India and the ASEAN are to celebrate their 25th anniversary of the ties. Indian PM Modi plans to visit some ASEAN counties and attend the ASEAN-India Summit in Vientiane.
A number of talks on the ASEAN-India relations in socio-economy and culture were also held on the occasion of the centre’s opening.
