ASEAN–India relations

The ASEAN - India relations refer to the historical, cultural, political, economic and military connections between India and the ASEAN. In the modern context, India's relations with ASEAN mainly started after the end of the Cold War, in 1992, as part of India's Look East policy. Today, this relation is one of the cornerstones of India's Act East policy, which is an updation of the Look East policy.[1] The India-ASEAN relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership at the 2012 meeting.[2]

Background

India-ASEAN relations, as they exist today, are a continuation of the age old ties which are 2,000 years old, beginning with silk route trade and spread of Buddhism.[3] The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as it exists today, is a political and economic organisation of ten Southeast Asian countries. It was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Current Status

ASEAN-India Car Rally 2012 held to commemorate 20 years of ASEAN-India relations

India has an annual Track 1.5 event called Delhi Dialogue, for discussing strategic and economic issues between ASEAN and India. The ASEAN-India Centre was inaugurated in New Delhi on 21 June 2013.[2] India has set up a separate Mission to ASEAN and the East Asia Summit in Jakarta in April 2015 with a dedicated Ambassador to strengthen engagement with ASEAN.[4]

Events

Indian Prime Minister Modi addressing the 12th ASEAN-India Summit in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, 2014

The ASEAN–India Commemorative Summit was held in New Delhi in December 2012, to commemorate 20 years of relationship between ASEAN and India and 10-years of its summit level partnership. In 2014, a meeting was held in Myanmar between Prime Minister Modi and ASEAN leaders.[5]

Political cooperation

Geopolitically, India has raised the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, as a way of checking Chinese hegemony in the waters around ASEAN. Just like India, most of the ASEAN nations have land and sea territorial disputes with China.[6]

Economic cooperation

With a total population of 1.8 billion, fast growing economies, and a combined GDP of $3.8 trillion (as on 2015), ASEAN and India together become economically important.[6] ASEAN–India Free Trade Area, operational since 1 January 2010 is the defining factor of ASEAN-India economic relations. Till 2014, there was just free trade in goods, which had resulted in negative trade balance for India.[6] An agreement on free trade in services and investments was signed in 2014 and became operational from July 2015.[7][4]

The India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway, the Kaladan Multi-modal Transit Transport Project , and the Moreh-Mandalay Bus Services are some of the much-delayed infrastructure projects under progress.[6]

The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), launched in 2000, is an initiative by India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam, for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, transport and communications.[8]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to ASEAN - India relations.

References

  1. ↑ Delhi-dialogue
  2. 1 2 India and the ASEAN: A Pivotal Relationship
  3. ↑ India with ASEAN
  4. 1 2 services and investments
  5. ↑ "‘Look East’ has become ‘Act East Policy': PM Narendra Modi at ASEAN". The Indian Express. 12 November 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 The Diplomat
  7. ↑ India signs Trade in Services & Investments Agreement with ASEAN
  8. ↑ About Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC)

External links

Official website of ASEAN-India Centre, New Delhi

Website of India-ASEAN (maintained by Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India)

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