Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the East Asia Summit stressed the importance of dialogue over conflict, warning that solutions to global problems cannot emerge from the battlefield.

The Prime Minister’s remarks come as the world witnesses rising tensions in the Middle East and eastern Europe due to Israel’s escalations with Iran and its proxies in Gaza and Lebanon, and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Mentioning that peace and stability should be restored as soon as possible, PM Narendra Modi said that conflicts going on in different parts of the world are having the most negative impact on countries of the Global South.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attending the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits in Laos to boost ties with ASEAN countries, and echoed his stance that diplomacy and peaceful resolutions are the only path forward. He stated that he comes from the land of Buddha, and has repeatedly said this is not an era of war. He added that solutions to problems cannot come from the battlefield.

PM Narendra Modi advocated for a humanitarian approach to conflicts and reiterated India’s commitment to peace and diplomacy. He mentioned that keeping a humanitarian approach, dialogue and diplomacy will have to be given priority. Fulfilling the responsibility of Vishwa Bandhu (global citizen), India will continue to contribute in every possible way in this direction, he continued.

He also pointed to the growing threat of terrorism, urging for global cooperation to tackle the issue. He added that terrorism is also a serious challenge to global peace and security, and to face it, forces believing in humanity will have to work together. He mentioned that mutual cooperation in the areas of cyber, maritime, and space will also have to be strengthened.

PM Narendra Modi also called for a free, open, inclusive, prosperous, and rule-based Indo-Pacific, signalling India’s ongoing concerns regarding China’s aggressive moves in the region. He underlined that the peace, security, and stability of the South China Sea are vital to the progress of the Indo-Pacific. He emphasized that the approach should be one of developmentalism and not expansionism.

Shivshankar Chaurasia, one of the two men, arrested for allegedly raping a teenage girl in Gujarat’s Surat district died in a hospital here after he complained of breathing difficulty in police custody on Thursday.

According to Surat District Superintendent of Police Hitesh Joysar, Chaurasia had complained of difficulty in breathing at around 2.00 pm and was rushed to a health centre in the Kamrej area. He was then referred to the new civil hospital, where he died during treatment,” Joysar added.

The 45-year-old Chaurasia, named in murder and theft cases in the past, and Munna Paswan (40) were arrested on Wednesday for the alleged sexual assault on the minor, PTI reported.

Police will produce Paswan before a court in the evening seeking his remand, the police officer said.

Paswan, Chaurasia and a third person, who is yet to be nabbed, allegedly raped a 17-year-old girl in Mangrol taluka on Tuesday night, according to the police.

The police said that the teenager had gone to the Kim village to meet friends after attending her coaching class. She and her male friend were sitting in a deserted place on their way to a petrol pump along the highway near Mota Borsara village when three men approached them, police added.

While her friend escaped, the trio raped the minor before fleeing with her and her friend’s mobile phones. After being alerted, police registered a case for gang rape and other charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Paswan and Chaurasia were nabbed from a nearby location on Wednesday evening and cops had to open fire while taking the duo into custody, police had said in a release.

Police said several cases had been registered against the two in areas like Ankleshwar, Kadodara, Amirgadh and Karjan.

Chaurasia was booked in a murder case in 2017 in Ankleshwar and for theft in 2023 in Karjan. This year, he was booked under the Arms Act by the Amirgadh police station of Banaskantha.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India-ASEAN friendship was very important at a time when parts of the world were facing conflicts and tensions.

Addressing the 21st India-ASEAN Summit, PM Modi also said he had announced the Act East Policy 10 years ago and in the past decade it had given new energy, direction and momentum to the historic ties between India and ASEAN nations.

“In the past decade, India-ASEAN trade has doubled and now stands at more than USD 130 billion,” he said.

The Prime Minister said he believed that the 21st century, also called the Asian century, is the century of India and ASEAN nations.

“India-ASEAN friendship, coordination dialogue and cooperation is very important at a time when several parts of the world are facing conflicts and tensions,” he said.

Announcing a 10-point plan to strengthen ASEAN-India comprehensive partnership, PM Modi focused on celebrating the year 2025 as “ASEAN-India Year of Tourism” for which India would make available $5 million towards joint activities.

“To celebrate a decade of Act East Policy through several people centric activities including Youth Summit, Start-up Festival, Hackathon, Music Festival, ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks and Delhi Dialogue,” he said.

He gave a third plan, “To organise ASEAN-India Women Scientists Conclave under ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund.”

The Prime Minister mentioned the doubling the number of scholarships at Nalanda University and provision of new scholarships for ASEAN students at Agricultural Universities in India.

To strengthen ASEAN-India partnership, Modi said, “Review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement by 2025.”

Enhancing Disaster Resilience for which India would make available $5 million, he said, would strengthen partnership further. He asked to initiate a new Health Ministers’ track towards building Health Resilience.

He also asked to initiate a regular mechanism of ASEAN-India Cyber Policy Dialogue towards strengthening Digital and Cyber Resilience.

In his 10-point plan, PM Modi suggested a workshop on Green Hydrogen in order to strengthen ASEAN-India comprehensive partnership.

“Invited ASEAN Leaders to join ‘Plant a Tree for Mother’ campaign towards building climate resilience,” PM Modi suggested.

“The India-ASEAN Summit was a productive one. We discussed how to further strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and ASEAN. We look forward to deepening trade ties, cultural linkages and cooperation in technology, connectivity and other such sectors,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

Modi arrived here in Laos on a two-day visit to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits and further deepen engagement with countries in the groupings.