KUALA LUMPUR:Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin urged leaders from ASEAN and India to join hands in fighting COVID-19 and address common challenges in a more responsive and cohesive manner, as much needs to be done in the post-pandemic recovery.

The prime minister, in his intervention at the 17th ASEAN-India Summit Thursday, said it is timely that both sides explore possible cooperation in economic recovery post-pandemic efforts to continue preserving the supply chain connectivity as well as ensure smooth flow of medical, food and essential supplies.

Muhyiddin also said that Malaysia, together with all Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States, stands ready to cooperate with India in COVID-19 vaccine development and production.

Noting that a global effort is underway to develop and mass-produce an effective vaccine for COVID-19, he said that Malaysia emphasised that the vaccine should be recognised as global public goods which is affordable and equitable to all.

The prime minister also thanked the Government of India for the assistance rendered to ASEAN nationals, particularly Malaysians stranded in India, since the start of the pandemic.

"I understand this was a delicate issue to maneuver, but solidarity and cooperation between both our Governments on this has shown that we are united in addressing these matters," he said at the summit, held within the 37th ASEAN Summit and related meetings.

Meanhwile, Malaysia believes that ASEAN and India could deepen and expand existing cooperation and explore new collaboration in all areas of mutual interest.

He noted that both sides should intensify political and security consultations and develop a more proactive agenda with clear priorities and strategies in the various ASEAN-led mechanisms based on the principle of ASEAN Centrality.

"I am pleased to note India has been very committed and forthcoming in enhancing its relations with ASEAN. This is manifested through India’s interest to work together with ASEAN in diverse areas including maritime cooperation to promote common principles, objectives and elements between the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)," he said.

He said cooperation in this area would provide great impact and visibility in dialogue relations in ensuring a peaceful, predictable and stable environment for the Indo-Pacific region.

ASEAN-India dialogue relations, from a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992, was upgraded to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995.

The relationship was further elevated with the convening of the ASEAN-India Summit in 2002 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The prime minister is leading the Malaysian delegation at the biannual summit virtually from here (Kuala Lumpur) which run till Sunday.

The summit is chaired by Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc in his capacity as ASEAN Chair 2020 under the theme “Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN."

ASEAN, established in 1967, comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

-- BERNAMA