The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee made the following statement prior to his departure for Cambodia and Laos, here today:

~I leave today on a visit to Cambodia for the first India-ASEAN Summit. I will thereafter pay an official bilateral visit to Laos.

India and the countries of ASEAN have a long history of cultural, social and economic interaction. With the recent expansion of ASEAN we have an even closer geographical proximity. The upgradation of our dialogue with ASEAN to the Summit level is a recognition of the political, economic and security inter-linkages which we have established, particularly over the last decade. I hope our Summit meeting will strengthen these connections and identify new directions for further development of our relations.

I will take the opportunity in Phnom Penh to have discussions with the Prime Minister of Cambodia as a follow-up of my bilateral visit to that country earlier this year.

In Laos I hope to renew the traditional friendship which has existed between our two countries, ever since our independence. This will be the first Prime Ministerial visit to Laos since that of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru nearly half a century ago. We look forward to strengthening our co-operation with Laos both bilaterally and within ASEAN. Laos will be the country co-ordinator for India within ASEAN next year and will take over as Chairman of ASEAN in 2004.

On this auspicious day of Deepawali, I wish all my countrymen every happiness and cheer.~