Vientiane: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived in Laos for a two-day visit to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summits, where he was accorded an enthusiastic red-carpet welcome by the Indian diaspora there. He is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with the prime minister of Lao PDR and other leaders on the margins of two key summits he is slated to attend in Vientiane on October 10-11.
PM Modi participated in a blessing ceremony by senior Buddhist monks of the Central Buddhist Fellowship Organisation of Lao PDR, led by Mahaveth Masenai, the revered abbot of Si Saket temple in Vientiane.
"Met respected monks and spiritual leaders in Lao PDR, who were happy to see the honour being given to Pali by the Indian people. I am grateful to them for their blessings," he said on X after the interaction. Shared Buddhist heritage represents yet another facet of close civilisational bonds between India and Laos, the MEA said.
PM Modi oversees restoration of Vat Phou temple
The Prime Minister also witnessed the exhibition on the restoration and conservation of the Vat Phou temple complex done by the Archaeological Survey of India in Laos. The Archaeological Survey of India is involved in restoring the Vat Phou temple and related monuments in Laos.
The Vat Phou temple in Laos is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UNESCO has described the temple complex as shaped to express the Hindu vision of the relationship between nature and humanity. Moreover, two planned cities on the banks of the Mekong River are also part of the site, as well as Phou Kao Mountain. The Wat Phou temple represents a development ranging from the 5th to 15th centuries, mainly associated with the Khmer Empire.
Upon his arrival in Vientiane, Modi earlier witnessed the performance of the Laotian adaptation of the Ramayan that reflected the shared heritage and age-old civilisation connection between India and Laos. According to phralakphralam.com, the Lao Ramayan differs from the original Indian version. It had reached Laos late, around the 16th century, brought by Buddhist missions.
Ramayan continues to be celebrated in Laos, and the epic reflects the shared heritage and age-old civilisation connection between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement. Several facets of Indian culture and tradition have been practised and preserved in Laos for centuries.
"The welcome in Lao PDR was memorable! The Indian community is clearly very connected with their roots. Also gladdening was the local people speaking in Hindi and doing a Bihu dance!" the Indian PM said on X after his arrival in Laos.
Notably, India and Laos share a lot of similarities in their respective cultures and heritages, along with issues of mutual interest in international forums. The two nations enjoy warm and friendly ties characterised by the exchange of regular visits at all levels. Prominent among other forms of age-old civilisational ties between the two countries include the Buddha encased in the That Luang Stupa, the national emblem of Laos.
PM Modi's statement before departing
"Today, I am embarking on a two-day visit to Vientiane, Lao PDR at the invitation of Prime Minister Mr. Sonexay Siphandone to participate in the 21st ASEAN-India and the 19th East Asia Summit," PM Modi said in a statement released just before his departure. He emphasised that this year India-Laos marked a decade of Act East Policy.
"The East Asia Summit will provide an opportunity to deliberate on the challenges to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. We share close cultural and civilisational ties with the region, including with Lao PDR, which are enriched by shared heritage of Buddhism and Ramayana. I look forward to my meetings with the Lao PDR leadership to further strengthen our bilateral ties. I am confident that this visit will further deepen our engagement with ASEAN countries," he added.
2024 marks a decade of India's Act East Policy and during this decade, the engagements have grown from stronger people-to-people connections to robust cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security, and connectivity including fin-tech, heritage conservation and capacity building. It also marks important anniversaries of India's diplomatic relations with several countries in the region like Brunei, Philippines and Singapore.
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