External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on an official visit to the ASEAN countries of Singapore, Philippines and Malaysia from 23-27 March.
”The visit will focus on enhancing bilateral relations with the three countries, and would provide an opportunity for engagement on regional issues of mutual concern,” the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday. India has cordial relations with all ASEAN countries and is a dialogue partner of the ten-nation Southeast Asian grouping.
The situation in the South China Sea and the Red Sea is likely to figure in Mr Jaishankar’s talks with the leaderships of the three countries. China’s muscle-flexing on maritime issues, particularly in the South China Sea, has been a cause of concern for all the ASEAN nations.
India’s defence and strategic ties with these three nations have also witnessed a significant upswing in recent years.