PMs of Asean nations to be guests at R-Day parade

October 29, 2017 09:06

The VIP enclosure at the Republic Day parade next year promises to be a sight to behold as it will showcase perhaps India's biggest Act East outreach ever. Government sources confirmed to TOI that prime ministers of both Vietnam and Singapore have confirmed their participation in the event which rolls out India's military might and also colourful tableaux from Indian states.

Vietnam PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong are among the first to confirm their participation in R-Day celebrations. Malaysian PM Najib Razak too is expected to attend.

India is expecting confirmation from other Asean leaders in the next couple of weeks. This will be the first time that so many heads of government and state will together attend the R-Day parade. In fact, only in 1968 and again in 1974, the R-Day parade saw more than 1 guest. While it was then Yugoslavia President Josip Broz Tito and Soviet Union Premier Alexei Kosygin in 1968, it was Tito again in 1974 along with Sri Lankan PM Sirima Bandarnaike.

Asean remains central to India's Act East Policy and both Singapore and Vietnam are key pillars of that policy.

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