♦ Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal went to Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) on 20 September 2024 to participate in the 21st ASEAN-India Economic Ministers (AEM-India) meeting and the 12th East Asia Summit Economic Ministers Meeting (EAS EMM). 

♦ These annual meetings of ASEAN with their dialogue partners are being hosted this year by Lao PDR, the ASEAN Chair for 2024.

♦ EAS EMM witnesses participation by Economic Ministers of 10 ASEAN countries and 8 other EAS partners viz. India, USA, Russia, China, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

♦ India joined ASEAN in 1992 and became its Comprehensive Strategic Partner in 2022.