Prime Minister of India - Dr. Manmohan Singh

PM's statement prior to his departure for Malaysia

"I am leaving for Malaysia today to participate in the 4th India-ASEAN Summit and the 1st East Asia Summit that will be held on 13-14th December.

The India-ASEAN Summit is an occasion to review the progress that has been made in our relationship with the ASEAN countries and consider new initiatives for cooperation that we could undertake jointly. Our relations with ASEAN as a whole, and with its individual members, have progressed steadily and satisfactorily over the years. They have acquired a qualitatively new dimension since 2002, when we initiated our annual Summit Dialogue. We attach great importance to our relations with ASEAN, which constitute a central element in India's 'Look East' Policy.

The First East Asia Summit would be a historic event. It would be the first ever gathering of leaders of countries that have made the region an engine of growth for the entire world economy. It is the beginning of a process that brings together countries with increasing inter-linkages and growing inter-dependence. It is our expectation that the Summit would articulate a collective long-term vision for shaping the regional architecture and promoting community-building.

While in Malaysia, I will also address the Special Leaders Dialogue organized by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and interact with local business leaders. Malaysia has a very large population of people of Indian origin and I will be meeting them and the expatriate Indian community.

During my stay, I will get an opportunity to interact with the leaders of countries who will be in Kuala Lumpur at that time. I would be holding bilateral discussions and reviewing bilateral relations with our host and the other leaders present.