Singapore: India and ASEAN have relations "free from contests and claims" and believe in sovereign equality of all nations irrespective of size, and support for free and open pathways of commerce and engagement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.
Twenty-seven newspapers in 10 languages in 10 ASEAN countries have published the op-ed by the Prime Minister on the historic occasion of 69th Republic Day and ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in a tweet.
In the article, 'shared values, common destiny' published in the Straits Times, Modi highlighted the importance of India's ties with ASEAN nations, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei.
"India and ASEAN nations have relations free from contests and claims," Modi said.
"We have a common vision for the future, built on the commitment to inclusion and integration, belief in sovereign equality of all nations irrespective of size, and support for free and open pathways of commerce and engagement," he said.
Modi said that he had the privilege to host the ASEAN leaders for the commemorative summit to mark 25 years of ASEAN-India partnership.
It is a historic milestone in a remarkable journey that has brought India and ASEAN to a deepening partnership of great promise for their 1.9 billion people, about one-fourth of humankind, he said in the article.