India, June 30 -- TheUnion Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Shri Sarbananda Sonowalinaugurated first-ever ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue in Chennai, today. The meet hosted by India is being attended by all the member nations of ASEAN; i.e., Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam along with Timor Leste. The Dialogue aims to strengthen maritime cooperation, enhance cruise connectivity, and promote sustainable tourism across the Indo-Pacific region.

The meet was held aboard the MV Empress (Cordelia Cruise ship) at Chennai Port, with more than 30 delegates from ASEAN countries. Along with the stakeholders and senior officials from the MoPSW, the event will cont...