The ASEAN-India partnership has grown into one of ASEAN’s mostcomprehensive, dynamic and fast-growing partnerships, Le Luong Minh,ASEAN Secretary General, has said at the inaugural session of the fifthDelhi Dialogue in New Delhi, India on February 19.
The following is the full text of the ASEAN Secretary General’s remarks delivered to the session:
“First of all, allow me to express my sincere appreciation tothe Ministry of External Affairs of India, the Indian Council of WorldAffairs and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industryfor hosting and inviting me and the ASEAN Secretariat to participate inthis important Delhi Dialogue on the ASEAN-India vision for partnershipand prosperity.
The “Look East” policy that India has beenimplementing since 1991, which includes efforts to strengthen itsrelations with ASEAN has been well reciprocated by ASEAN as anoutward-looking organisation.
Over the past two decades,ASEAN has engaged India in a relationship which had grown rapidly toa full dialogue partnership in 1995, further strengthened with theconvening of annual summits since 2002 and most recently, last year,elevated to strategic partnership. From a relationship which mainlyemphasised economic cooperation, the ASEAN-India partnership hasdeveloped into one of ASEAN’s most comprehensive, dynamic andfast-growing partnerships spanning across a whole spectrum ofpolitical-security, economic, social-cultural and developmentcollaboration. The consistent sequence of elevating the ASEAN-Indiapartnership not only reflects the two sides’ interest and desire andmutual interest to intensify their engagement, it also constitutes asolid foundation for further effective joint actions for peace, progressand shared prosperity.
As ASEAN is in the process of buildingthe ASEAN Community, we appreciate India’s support for ASEANCommunity building, its implementation of the Master Plan on ASEANConnectivity, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration and ASEAN Centrality.
The Leaders of ASEAN and India at their CommemorativeSummit last December adopted a Vision Statement, which will serve asguidance to the pursuit of our strategic partnership for the years tocome.
In this Vision Statement, our Leaders called for greatereffective implementation of the Plan of Action to implement theASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity(2010-2015). The Plan of Action encompasses activities under the variousexisting ASEAN sectoral work plans, Declarations concluded betweenASEAN and India, as well as priority activities under the Roadmapfor an ASEAN Community 2009-2015 that could be implemented withIndia.
In this regard, we would like to suggest that both ASEANand Indian officials undertake a mid-term review of the implementationof this Plan of Action and map out the course of actions and possiblejoint activities from now until 2015, which would better correspond tothe Vision set out by our Leaders, and study the importantrecommendations in the Report of the ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Grouppresented to our Leaders at the 10th ASEAN-India Summit in November2012.
In the economic field, ASEAN and India have set theaim of achieving a free trade area. With a combined market of over 1.8billion people and a GDP of USD 3.8 trillion and relative geographicalproximity, there is huge potential awaiting to be tapped. The signingand entry into force of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement(TIG) and the conclusion of the negotiation on the Agreement on trade inservices and investment paved the way for the creation of one of theworld’s largest free trade areas. In this endeavour, we need to promote,devise measures to ensure that this FTA benefits the businesscommunity on both sides.
Also at the 10th ASEAN-India Summitin November 2012, our Leaders set the target of 100 billion USD by2015 for ASEAN-India trade. In achieving this target as well as in thelong-run, inter-connectivity would play a key role. ASEAN is embarkingon an ambitious and long-term strategy to improve the region’sphysical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity. EnhancedASEAN connectivity would promote ASEAN centrality in the regionalarchitecture, facilitate the building of an ASEAN Community and serve asa foundation for a more enhanced connectivity beyond the region. ASEANand India are located within an economically vibrant Asian region.Effective implementation of the Master Plan of ASEAN Connectivitywould be of great significance.
Expanding and improving road,rail, maritime and air linkages will be critical to further increaseASEAN-India trade and investment. The development of the Mekong-IndiaEconomic Corridor, the early construction of the newIndia-Myanmar-Lao PDR-Vietnam-Cambodia Highway and the extension ofthe India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway to Lao PDR andCambodia would promote transport infrastructure linkages between ASEANand India .
At the same time, we can strengthen ASEAN-Indiaair connectivity by working towards greater liberalisation of airservices, both cargo and passengers. Early conclusion of the ASEAN-IndiaAir Services Agreement not only promotes trade, investment and tourismbut also people-to-people connectivity, which are all mutuallyreinforcing.
Another key area of connectivity is information andcommunications technologies (ICT), which can be enhanced through sharingof best practices in policy, regulations, technological development andcapacity building programmes.
To explore concrete ways and meansto support the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity in areas where Indiahas strong expertise and interest, regular exchanges between the ASEANConnectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) and India’sInter-Ministerial Group on Connectivity would be essential.
Overthe years, ASEAN-India socio-cultural cooperation has been expanded toinclude human resource development, science and technology (S&T),people-to-people contacts, health and pharmaceuticals, transport andinfrastructure, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), tourism,information and communication technology (ICT), agriculture, and energy.
India has also been actively contributing to narrowing the gaps ofdevelopment through a number of projects and programmes. India’ssupport for the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), particularly theprogrammes for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam intraining and capacity building in entrepreneurship development, Englishlanguage training and ICT has been well-recognised and appreciatedby ASEAN.
The present regional and global dynamics are renderingto discussions on a regional architecture in East Asia even moreurgent than ever. The dynamics bring along uncertainties, challenges andopportunities that the region has to manage.
As the newrealities dawn on the region’s horizon, ASEAN as the fulcrum ofrelations in the East Asia region is very well aware that it faces morechallenges in preserving its relevance and centrality.
Inexpanding ASEAN’s external relations with a view to constructivelyengaging its friends and partners to shape the evolving regionalarchitecture, and at the same time to ensure that ASEAN will have aunited voice and will be at the centre or form the core of the evolvingregional architecture, ASEAN will strive to continue to exerciseleadership and remain proactive in managing the cob-web of processes andcooperation in the region.
ASEAN welcomes and appreciatesIndia’s participation, continued commitment and support for thedevelopment of ASEAN-led regional processes which are open, transparentand inclusive, and based on principles of international law such as theEast Asia Summit, ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), and the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Twenty years ofcooperation has yielded great mutual benefits for both ASEAN and India. Looking ahead, the work we have to accomplish to ensure peace,promote progress and shared prosperity for our 1.8 billion people ismuch more comprehensive than what I only briefly mentioned and asreflected in the Agenda for this Fifth Dialogue. I wish success to thedeliberation.”.-VNA
The following is the full text of the ASEAN Secretary General’s remarks delivered to the session:
“First of all, allow me to express my sincere appreciation tothe Ministry of External Affairs of India, the Indian Council of WorldAffairs and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industryfor hosting and inviting me and the ASEAN Secretariat to participate inthis important Delhi Dialogue on the ASEAN-India vision for partnershipand prosperity.
The “Look East” policy that India has beenimplementing since 1991, which includes efforts to strengthen itsrelations with ASEAN has been well reciprocated by ASEAN as anoutward-looking organisation.
Over the past two decades,ASEAN has engaged India in a relationship which had grown rapidly toa full dialogue partnership in 1995, further strengthened with theconvening of annual summits since 2002 and most recently, last year,elevated to strategic partnership. From a relationship which mainlyemphasised economic cooperation, the ASEAN-India partnership hasdeveloped into one of ASEAN’s most comprehensive, dynamic andfast-growing partnerships spanning across a whole spectrum ofpolitical-security, economic, social-cultural and developmentcollaboration. The consistent sequence of elevating the ASEAN-Indiapartnership not only reflects the two sides’ interest and desire andmutual interest to intensify their engagement, it also constitutes asolid foundation for further effective joint actions for peace, progressand shared prosperity.
As ASEAN is in the process of buildingthe ASEAN Community, we appreciate India’s support for ASEANCommunity building, its implementation of the Master Plan on ASEANConnectivity, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration and ASEAN Centrality.
The Leaders of ASEAN and India at their CommemorativeSummit last December adopted a Vision Statement, which will serve asguidance to the pursuit of our strategic partnership for the years tocome.
In this Vision Statement, our Leaders called for greatereffective implementation of the Plan of Action to implement theASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity(2010-2015). The Plan of Action encompasses activities under the variousexisting ASEAN sectoral work plans, Declarations concluded betweenASEAN and India, as well as priority activities under the Roadmapfor an ASEAN Community 2009-2015 that could be implemented withIndia.
In this regard, we would like to suggest that both ASEANand Indian officials undertake a mid-term review of the implementationof this Plan of Action and map out the course of actions and possiblejoint activities from now until 2015, which would better correspond tothe Vision set out by our Leaders, and study the importantrecommendations in the Report of the ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Grouppresented to our Leaders at the 10th ASEAN-India Summit in November2012.
In the economic field, ASEAN and India have set theaim of achieving a free trade area. With a combined market of over 1.8billion people and a GDP of USD 3.8 trillion and relative geographicalproximity, there is huge potential awaiting to be tapped. The signingand entry into force of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement(TIG) and the conclusion of the negotiation on the Agreement on trade inservices and investment paved the way for the creation of one of theworld’s largest free trade areas. In this endeavour, we need to promote,devise measures to ensure that this FTA benefits the businesscommunity on both sides.
Also at the 10th ASEAN-India Summitin November 2012, our Leaders set the target of 100 billion USD by2015 for ASEAN-India trade. In achieving this target as well as in thelong-run, inter-connectivity would play a key role. ASEAN is embarkingon an ambitious and long-term strategy to improve the region’sphysical, institutional and people-to-people connectivity. EnhancedASEAN connectivity would promote ASEAN centrality in the regionalarchitecture, facilitate the building of an ASEAN Community and serve asa foundation for a more enhanced connectivity beyond the region. ASEANand India are located within an economically vibrant Asian region.Effective implementation of the Master Plan of ASEAN Connectivitywould be of great significance.
Expanding and improving road,rail, maritime and air linkages will be critical to further increaseASEAN-India trade and investment. The development of the Mekong-IndiaEconomic Corridor, the early construction of the newIndia-Myanmar-Lao PDR-Vietnam-Cambodia Highway and the extension ofthe India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway to Lao PDR andCambodia would promote transport infrastructure linkages between ASEANand India .
At the same time, we can strengthen ASEAN-Indiaair connectivity by working towards greater liberalisation of airservices, both cargo and passengers. Early conclusion of the ASEAN-IndiaAir Services Agreement not only promotes trade, investment and tourismbut also people-to-people connectivity, which are all mutuallyreinforcing.
Another key area of connectivity is information andcommunications technologies (ICT), which can be enhanced through sharingof best practices in policy, regulations, technological development andcapacity building programmes.
To explore concrete ways and meansto support the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity in areas where Indiahas strong expertise and interest, regular exchanges between the ASEANConnectivity Coordinating Committee (ACCC) and India’sInter-Ministerial Group on Connectivity would be essential.
Overthe years, ASEAN-India socio-cultural cooperation has been expanded toinclude human resource development, science and technology (S&T),people-to-people contacts, health and pharmaceuticals, transport andinfrastructure, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), tourism,information and communication technology (ICT), agriculture, and energy.
India has also been actively contributing to narrowing the gaps ofdevelopment through a number of projects and programmes. India’ssupport for the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI), particularly theprogrammes for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam intraining and capacity building in entrepreneurship development, Englishlanguage training and ICT has been well-recognised and appreciatedby ASEAN.
The present regional and global dynamics are renderingto discussions on a regional architecture in East Asia even moreurgent than ever. The dynamics bring along uncertainties, challenges andopportunities that the region has to manage.
As the newrealities dawn on the region’s horizon, ASEAN as the fulcrum ofrelations in the East Asia region is very well aware that it faces morechallenges in preserving its relevance and centrality.
Inexpanding ASEAN’s external relations with a view to constructivelyengaging its friends and partners to shape the evolving regionalarchitecture, and at the same time to ensure that ASEAN will have aunited voice and will be at the centre or form the core of the evolvingregional architecture, ASEAN will strive to continue to exerciseleadership and remain proactive in managing the cob-web of processes andcooperation in the region.
ASEAN welcomes and appreciatesIndia’s participation, continued commitment and support for thedevelopment of ASEAN-led regional processes which are open, transparentand inclusive, and based on principles of international law such as theEast Asia Summit, ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), and the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Twenty years ofcooperation has yielded great mutual benefits for both ASEAN and India. Looking ahead, the work we have to accomplish to ensure peace,promote progress and shared prosperity for our 1.8 billion people ismuch more comprehensive than what I only briefly mentioned and asreflected in the Agenda for this Fifth Dialogue. I wish success to thedeliberation.”.-VNA
