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As an emerging major global power and key regional actor, India needs to prove
its responsibility and role in contributing to regional peace, stability and
development through collective efforts and leadership. In addition to other
strategies, it is necessary to define ways and means to strengthen India’s
engagement with regional institutions, especially the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) - a dynamic, inclusive and promising regional
arrangement.India can be a neutralising force to strengthen and maintain the
dynamic equilibrium of the Asia Pacific region through ASEAN centred regional
architecture.
ASEAN-India engagement:
Strength & substance
The ASEAN-India bilateral relationship progressed gradually from the early 1990s
after India initiated its ‘Look East Policy’. India became a sectoral dialogue
partner of ASEAN in 1992 and a full dialogue partner in 1996. Since 2002, ASEAN
and India have held annual summits. To mark the 20th anniversary of the
ASEAN-India dialogue partnership and the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-India
summit-level partnership, India hosted the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in
New Delhi on December 20-21, under the theme: ‘ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace
and Shared Prosperity’.
In the vision statement of the Commemorative Summit, leaders declared to upgrade
their partnership to a strategic one, strive towards the full, effective and
timely implementation of the ASEAN-India Dialogue relations through
institutional strengthening and multi-network expansion across different sectors
and actors. In addition, the leaders declared to cooperate effectively to
implement the Plan of Action of the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress
and Shared Prosperity (2010-2015). India reaffirmed its support to realise the
ASEAN Community in 2015 and agreed to establish an ASEAN-India Centre to further
strengthen cooperation and coordination.
Towards a secure and strong political and economic future
The vision statement has given a clear direction to strengthen institutional
cooperation and partnership between India and ASEAN. To realise the vision, one
requires sufficient resources. The establishment of the India-ASEAN Fund,
ASEAN-India Green Fund (AIGF), ASEAN-India Science & Technology Development Fund
(AISTDF), and India-CLMV Fund are critical to put ideas into reality.The support
provided by India to realise the ASEAN Master Plan of Connectivity
(institutional, infrastructure and people connectivity) and the ASEAN plus
Connectivity is necessary.
In terms of political and security cooperation, ASEAN needs sincere and firm
support from India to maintain its central role, unity and capacity so as to
ensure peace, stability and development in the wider Asia Pacific region. The
increasing power competition and some conflicting views and positions on certain
issues put ASEAN at the risk of division and disintegration.The South China Sea
is a case in point, when the member states of ASEAN find it difficult or even
impossible to reach a consensus on how to manage and solve such a complicated
issue. Security related institutions such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF),
ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus), and East Asia Summit (EAS)
need to be synergised and integratedmore effectively. ARF and ADMM Plus can
become the two key, complimentary pillars supporting and implementing the
decisions and visions produced by the EAS.
With respect to economic cooperation, it is necessary to increase trade and
investment cooperation and volume between India and ASEAN even further. Trade
and investment flow between India and ASEAN, though has increased remarkably
over the last few years, remain relatively small. It is important for India and
ASEAN to target its trade volume to $100 billion by 2015. It is expected that
the recent conclusion of trade agreements on services and investment would
accelerate trade and investment relations between India and ASEAN. Speaking at
the Commemorative Summit, Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh proclaimed,
“I am confident that this agreement could be as transformational as our
agreement on goods has been”.
Business networks and cultural cooperation
The role of the private sector and business network has been significant, and
continues to play a pivotal role in creating regional production networks and
integrated market base. The public-private-partnership (PPP) is the foundation
for sustaining and accelerating economic relations. Small and Medium Enterprises
(SMEs) will be the driving force of connecting regional production and services
network. It is necessary for India and ASEAN to provide more support to SMEs,
especially in terms of access to finance and market information.
With respect to socio-cultural cooperation, more cultural and educational
exchanges between India and ASEAN are required. India-ASEAN Education Fund can
be created to promote people to people contacts and mutual understanding.
Cooperation in mass media is important to shape common public perception and
understanding, and to create consensus among societies on certain common issues,
values and norms. The tourism industry has emerged as an important sectoral
regional cooperation framework to promote economic development and poverty
reduction, culture of tolerance and respect for diversity in the region and
people connectivity.
In future, the India-ASEAN partnership will be more action oriented with a wide
spectrum of cooperative areas and sectors in order to realise shared wisdom and
interest in the Asia Pacific region. To maintain this momentum and trajectory,
both India and ASEAN need to deepen mutual trust and confidence further together
with mutual respect and interest. Domestic politics need to go in tandem with
the regional cooperation development trend. Nationalism should be appropriately
managed to avoid confrontation and conflict with neighbours. A sense of regional
partnership, ownership, and stakeholdership needs to be promoted and invested in
the heart of the Indian and ASEAN people.
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