Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) P Kumaran delivered remarks at the joint inauguration of East Asia Summit Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Energy Efficiency Policies and Programmes - Mission LiFE and EAS Conclave of Heads of Higher Education Institutions at Nalanda University in Bihar's Rajgir on Thursday.

Kumaran stressed the need to promote sustainable consumption patterns and energy saving behaviours, thereby reinforcing the role of people in achieving climate goals, as underlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Fulfilling India’s commitments at the East Asia Summit (EAS) Secretary (East) P. Kumaran delivered the keynote address at the joint inauguration of EAS Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Energy Efficiency Policies and Programmes- Mission LiFE (organised by RIS New Delhi and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and EAS Conclave of Heads of Higher Education Institutions (organised by Nalanda University) being hosted in collaboration with Ministry of External Affairs at the Nalanda University, Rajgir, Bihar," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated in a post on X.

"Secretary highlighted that the 21st century will be the Asian century and our universities will light the way. On Mission LiFE, he focused on the need to promote sustainable consumption patterns and energy saving behaviours, thereby reinforcing the role of individuals in achieving climate goals, as underlined by PM Narendra Modi," he added.

On September 10, India expressed constructive support for preparations related to the forthcoming 20th East Asia Summit. Representing India at the East Asia Summit Preparatory Senior Officials’ Meeting (EAS Prep-SOM) in Malaysia's Port Dickson, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East), P Kumaran expressed India's "constructive support" for preparations related to the forthcoming summit.

Dato’ Sri Amran Mohamed Zin, Secretary General of Malaysia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in its capacity as the ASEAN Chair, chaired the meeting. Senior Officials of participating countries of EAS attended the meeting.

"Secretary (East), in his intervention at the EAS Prep-SOM, expressed constructive support for preparations related to the forthcoming 20th East Asia Summit. Secretary (East) also invited EAS Participating Countries for the EAS Knowledge Exchange Workshop on Energy Efficiency Policies and Programs - Mission LiFE and Conclave of EAS Heads of Higher Education Institutions being hosted in India at the Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar," read a statement issued by the MEA.

The East Asia Summit refers to the Meeting of Heads of States/Governments of the EAS participating countries which is convened annually. The EAS process was initiated in 2005 with the convening of the first East Asia Summit in Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur. At its inception, the East Asia Summit comprised 16 participating countries, namely ASEAN Member States, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea. The United States and Russia joined at the 6th East Asia Summit in Indonesia's Bali on November 19, 2011.