H.E. Prak Sokhonn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia, has laid stress on the opportunity for ASEAN-India cooperation on vaccine development against the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the ASEAN Post Ministerial Conference (PMC) with India held on Wednesday via Videoconference, the Cambodian top diplomat highlighted that India’s leading edge in the field of pharmaceuticals presents a great opportunity for cooperation on COVID-19 vaccine development between ASEAN Member States and India.
H.E. Deputy Prime Minister also encouraged further cooperation on trade promotion and emphasised the importance of ASEAN-India Business Council (AIBC) in promoting linkages between prominent business leaders. He also encouraged India to support ASEAN regional integration efforts through the IAI Work Plan IV, especially in areas related to digitalisation and technological advancement.
During the meeting, ASEAN welcomed the designation of the year 2022 as the “ASEAN-India Friendship Year”, and India’s proposal for an ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI).
To enhance regional connectivity, ASEAN encouraged the expansion of physical and digital connectivity projects between ASEAN and India and looked forward to the timely completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway and its possible extension to Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Viet Nam.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press