Chronologies
India - East Asia
Chronology from Jan 2020 to Dec 2020
: India’s Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Ms Riva Ganguly Das and South Korea’s First Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong-kun conduct a digital video conference. India continues to seek opportunities for defense industrial cooperation with Korea. In January 2020 South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering was named one of five companies shortlist for India’s P-75I submarine project.
: India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh holds a telephone call with his Japanese counterpart and both ministers “welcomed the successful conduct of JIMEX 2020, MALABAR 2020 and also the recent successful visit of Chief of Staff, JASDF to India.”
: India’s Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Ms. Riva Ganguly Das delivers the Keynote Address at the 5th Meeting of BIMSTEC Network Policy Think Tanks (BNPTT).
: Modi and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hold a virtual summit in which they “provide guidance for the future development of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
: India-Australia-Japan-United States, or “Quad,” Senior Officials Consultations take place via video conference.
: India’s Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Riva Ganguly Das conducts a virtual meeting with Stanley Loh, second permanent secretary of Singapore.
: India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh addresses the 14th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus hosted online by Vietnam.
: India’s External Affairs Ministry Secretary (East) Ms. Riva Ganguly Das addresses the 3rd meeting of BIMSTEC Transport Connectivity Working Group.
: India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Mongolia’s Chief Cabinet Secretary L Oyun-Erdene co-chair the 7th meeting of the India-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation.
: Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan speaks to the 6th India-CMLV (Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam) Business Conclave.
: India’s Vice President Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu chairs the 19th Session of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (which includes China and Russia).
: India’s Ministry of Defense’s Department of Defense Production organizes a bilateral webinar and expo with Indonesia on Indian Defense Industry Global Outreach for Collaborative Partnerships as part of a series of such interactions with friendly foreign countries in order to boost defense exports and achieve defense export target of $5 billion in the next five years.
: Modi speaks virtually at the 12th BRICS Summit (Virtual).
: Modi and Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc co-chair the 17th India-ASEAN Summit online.
: The 3rd India-United States 2 + 2 Meeting is held in person in India. The most important of the five agreements signed during the visit was the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) which provides the legal framework for exchanging geospatial data.
: India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participates in the 13th Japan-India Foreign Ministers Strategic Dialogue.
: India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla travels to Myanmar along with India’s Chief of Army Staff General M.M. Naravane for bilateral discussions on a range of issues.
: India and Myanmar, led respectively by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Permanent Secretary U Soe Han, hold the 19th round of Foreign Office Consultations virtually.
: Senior Ministry of Defense officials from India and senior army leaders from Cambodia participate in a webinar intended to boost India’s defense exports to achieve an export target of $5 billion in the next five years.
: Senior officials of India, Australia, Japan, and the United States confer by video as part of ongoing quadrilateral consultations.
: Modi and Japan’s new Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide conduct a 25-minute Summit Telephone Talk.
: Modi and outgoing Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo conduct a 30-minute Summit Telephone Talk.
: India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry & Railways. Piyush Goyal, and Vietnam’s Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh co-chaired a virtual meeting of the 17th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultations primarily regarding the ASEAN India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGIA).
: Modi speaks by phone to Laos Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, primarily regarding the COVID-19 pandemic during which he highlights the historic and cultural links between the two countries including support for a World Heritage site and the Lao prime minister thanks India for supporting Lao’s development programs and capacity building for scholarships. Modi describes Laos as a “valued partner in India’s extended neighborhood.”
: Modi speaks by phone to President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines during which “[t]he leaders shared their satisfaction at the progress seen in recent years in all aspects of the bilateral relationship, including defense cooperation. Prime Minister Modi emphasized that India sees the Philippines as a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific Region.”
: Modi and Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison hold a Leaders’ Virtual Summit and issue a Joint Statement on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Republic of India and Australia among other declarations and agreements.
: India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Australia’s Minister of Defense Linda Reynolds consult by phone.
: India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh conducts a telephone conversation with Japan’s Minister of Defense Kono Taro. The two ministers “conveyed their commitment to take forward the initiatives of bilateral security cooperation under the framework of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.”
: Modi speaks by phone with Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha during which he says Thailand “is a valued maritime partner in India’s extended neighborhood, with ethnic and ancient cultural links.”
: Modi speaks by telephone to President Jokowi Widodo of Indonesia regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and “underlined the fact that Indonesia is an important maritime partner in India’s extended neighborhood.”
: Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks by phone with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore regarding responses to COVID-19 and “[b]oth leaders stressed the importance of the India-Singapore Strategic Partnership in the present context.”
: President of Myanmar U Win Myint makes a state visit to India.
: New Zealand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters visits India for official consultations.
: India’s chief of navy staff, Adm. Karambir Singh, visits Myanmar for bilateral discussions with Admiral Tin Aung San, Commander in Chief of the Myanmar Navy and Commander in Chief of Defense Services Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, and other Myanmar officials.
: Vietnam’s Vice President Dang This Ngoc Thinh travels to Delhi for meetings with India’s president, vice president, and prime minister.
: India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and South Korea’s Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo conduct a ministerial defense dialogue in Delhi.
: Australia’s Foreign Minister Marise Payne visits New Delhi for consultations on the bilateral Strategic Partnership.
: A high-level Indian army delegation led by Northern Army Commander Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh visits China to exchange views with Gen. Han Weiguo, Commander of People’s Liberation Army Ground Force, on measures to enhance peace and tranquility along their borders.