Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday left on a three-day visit to Vientiane, Laos to attend the 3rd India-ASEAN Summit during which the two sides are expected to seal a landmark partnership agreement.

The document on India-ASEAN "Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity" envisages intensive cooperation in political and security issues, besides economic, science and technology, health and cultural fields.

The prime minister was seen off at his official 7, Race Course Road residence by Sonia Gandhi, Congress party president and chairperson of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Home Minister Shivraj Patil, other ministers and senior officials.

The two-day summit that starts in the Laotian capital Monday is the prime minister's first interaction with his ASEAN counterparts.
 
The draft of the India-ASEAN partnership document was finalised by External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and his counterparts from the Association of South-East Asian Nations at their meeting in Vientiane Saturday.

Manmohan Singh, in a departure statement, said the document was the outcome of discussions between the Indian and ASEAN governments.

But he said, "other stakeholders, outside governments, have also participated in the process of developing this partnership document and their views too are reflected in this.

"This inclusive approach should give added momentum to this partnership between India and ASEAN," he said.

Manmohan Singh said India attaches high priority to strengthening and expanding relations with its neighbours on the east with whom it has profound civilizational ties.

He said he looked forward to meeting and exchanging views with his ASEAN counterparts on regional and international political and economic issues.

In Vientiane, Manmohan Singh, with his ASEAN counterparts, will flag off the second leg of the 1st India-ASEAN Car Rally that he had seen off in Guwahati Nov 22.

The car rally will "focus much needed attention" on the "imperative need to develop better road connectivity between India and our ASEAN neighbours, on upgradation of infrastructure and in promoting tourism, trade and economic relations as well as people-to-people contacts between us", he said.

The prime minister said he expected to hold bilateral talks and interact with several leaders during the summit, including those from China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

--Indo-Asian News Service