PM Narendra Modi with his Cambodian counterpart Hun Sen in New Delhi on Saturday. PTI

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 27

Continuing with his diplomatic engagement with ASEAN leaders, Prime Minister Modi today held delegation-level talks with Cambodian PM Samdech Hun Sen.The two sides discussed cooperation in development partnership, defence, trade and investment, energy conservation, agriculture and tourism. Four MoUs were signed, including mutual legal assistance in criminal matters. The delegations discussed the possibility of extending the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway further to Cambodia and beyond and expand air connectivity.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)Resonating with the Delhi Declaration issued after the ASEAN-India summit, the India-Cambodia joint statement stressed on “security of sea lanes of communication to maintain peace and ensure safety and security of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region”. “They also agreed that peace and maritime security is important for both countries. To that end, they support complete freedom of navigation and overflight and pacific resolution of maritime issues based on international law notably the 1982 UNCLOS,” added the joint statement.Earlier on Friday, Modi held bilateral discussions with Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Indonesia has proposed to invite countries in the region to discuss the Indo-Pacific concept.The two sides sought to strengthen the Indian Ocean Rim Association. “The Indonesian President lent his support for the concept of Indo-Pacific during his meeting with Modi,” said Preeti Saran, Secretary East in MEA. Defence, security, trade and investment, counter terrorism and people-to-people links figured prominently in Narendra Modi’s bilateral meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Ink four pacts 

• A credit line agreement of $36.92 million was signed for Cambodia’s water resource development project
• A cultural exchange programme was signed for 2018-2022
• An agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters was inked
• An MoU was inked on cooperation for prevention of human trafficking