(Forelines) – At the East Asia Summit Preparatory Senior Officials’ Meeting (EAS Prep-SOM), which took place in Port Dickson, Malaysia on September 10, 2025, Secretary (East), P. Kumaran, spoke on behalf of India, External Affairs Ministry of India said in a statement.
The meeting was attended by Senior Officials of participating countries of EAS and was chaired by Amran Mohamed Zin, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, in its capacity as the ASEAN Chair.
In his remarks at the EAS Prep-SOM, the Secretary (East) offered positive support for the upcoming 20th East Asia Summit preparations.
For the EAS Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Energy Efficiency Policies and Programs – Mission LiFE and Conclave of EAS Heads of Higher Education Institutions being held in India at the Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar, Secretary (East) also extended invitations to EAS Participating Countries, MEA added.
Additionally, Secretary (East) met bilaterally with his counterparts from Malaysia, Cambodia, and Australia during the tour.
Based on the ASEAN Plus Six framework, the East Asia Summit (EAS) is an annual regional gathering attended by the leaders of initially 16 nations from the East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, and Oceanian areas.
At the Sixth EAS in 2011, membership grew to 18 nations, including the US and Russia. ASEAN has been the forum’s main player and leader since its founding. EAS meetings, which take place following the yearly ASEAN leaders’ meetings, are crucial to the Asia-Pacific region’s structure. On December 14, 2005, the first summit took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.