The External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar has represented India at the 15th East Asia Summit (EAS) on behalf of PM Modi. The Summit was chaired by the Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc because Vietnam is ASEAN Chair in 2020 (ASEAN holds the central role and leadership in the forum). All the 18 EAS countries participated in the virtual Summit.
Jaishankar underlined the key role played by the East Asia Summit (EAS) as a leading mechanism of the Indo-Pacific region and reiterated India’s support to make it stronger and more responsive. He also re-affirmed the importance of EAS as the Leaders-led forum to exchange views on strategic issues. On Covid-19, he briefed the EAS leaders about India’s response to the pandemic and highlighted India’s efforts to support the international community.