On 22 July 2026, at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with India, held on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called for deeper India-ASEAN cooperation amid an increasingly turbulent global environment. Stressing that no country or grouping can address today's disruptions alone, he highlighted mounting pressures on supply chains, energy, food and health security, and underscored the importance of secure maritime trade and adherence to international law. Referring to 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, Jaishankar urged closer collaboration across trade and investment, technology, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, connectivity, and talent mobility to strengthen resilience and diversify partnerships. Reaffirming India's commitment to ASEAN centrality, he highlighted the convergence between the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and India's Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, adding that India and ASEAN, together representing around two billion people, must work together to navigate a changing world and realise shared opportunities.
