New Delhi, Oct 28 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday emphasised the centrality of the ASEAN bloc in India’s vision for the Indo-Pacific, as the two sides affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, and security in the South China Sea and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight – in a region where China has been increasing its hegemonistic moves.
PM Modi, in his address at the 18th ASEAN-India summit, held virtually, also urged on the need to revamp the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. The two sides also declared 2022 as the ASEAN-India Friendship year, to mark 30 years of the partnership as well as 75 years of India’s independence.
PM Modi stressed on the deep historical ties between India and the 10-member Association for South East Asian Nations bloc.
He said that despite the pandemic posing innumerable challenges, it was also a time when the cooperation and goodwill between ASEAN and India were at their best, which would be a bedrock for building on and strengthening their future ties.
“India and ASEAN share deep historical ties. This is visible in the similarity in our values, our culture, traditions, language and food habits. And that is why ASEAN’s unity and centrality has always remained of foremost importance for India,” he said.
“ASEAN’s central role is synced to India’s Act East Policy and our SAGAR initiative of Security and Growth for All in the Region,” he said.
“India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and ASEAN’s Outlook for the Indo-Pacific are part of our shared vision and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
The two sides exchanged views on enhancing India-ASEAN connectivity in broadest terms including physical, digital and people to people. To further strengthen India-ASEAN cultural connectivity, Prime Minister Modi announced India’s support for establishing the ASEAN Cultural Heritage List.
On trade and investment, he underlined the importance of diversification and resilience of supply chains for post-COVID economic recovery and in this regard, the need to revamp the India-ASEAN FTA, said a press statement.
Riva Ganguly Das, Secretary East in the MEA, briefing the media post the summit talks, said on trade and investment, “Prime Minister Modi called for an early review of ASEAN-India trade in goods agreement (AITIGA) which has been pending for a long time.”
“It received the support of all ASEAN leaders. Prime Minister also underlined the importance of technology and innovation in post pandemic economic recovery and proposed an Indian and ASEAN Start-up festival as part of our Friendship Year celebration in 2022,” she said.
The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement was signed at the 7th ASEAN Economic Ministers-India Consultations in Bangkok, Thailand in 2009. The Agreement came into effect in 2010, and is referred to as the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement.
In 2019-20, trade between India and ASEAN was worth US$86 billion, which was an increase from US$81.3 billion in the 2017-18.
Building synergies in the Indo-Pacific formed a key part of the summit talks.
Highlighting ASEAN-India cooperation in the maritime domain, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of strengthening convergence between India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative and ASEAN's Outlook on Indo Pacific to ensure a free, open, inclusive and rules based Indo-Pacific region, said the Riva Das, Secretary East.
In this context, PM Modi and ASEAN leaders welcomed the adoption of the joint statement in this regard as a means to enhance practical cooperation in the maritime domain between India and ASEAN in the Indo-Pacific.
On COVID-19, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s efforts in the fight against the pandemic in the region and also reiterated support for ASEAN’s initiatives in this regard. India has contributed medical supplies worth USD 200,000 to ASEAN’s humanitarian initiative for Myanmar and USD 1 million for ASEAN’s Covid-19 Response Fund, the press statement said.
The leaders exchanged views on enhancing India-ASEAN connectivity in broadest terms including physical, digital and people to people.
“The ASEAN leaders appreciated India’s role as a trusted partner in the region especially during the current Covid-19 Pandemic with its supply of vaccine. They also welcomed India’s support to ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific and looked forward to greater India-ASEAN cooperation in the region through the Joint Statement.
"The discussions also covered regional and international issues of common interest and concern, including the South China Sea and terrorism.
"Both sides noted the importance of promoting a rules-based order in the region including through upholding adherence to international law, especially the UNCLOS. The leaders affirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, safety and security in the South China Sea, and ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight," the statement said.
India and ASEAN share a deep, robust and multifaceted relationship and the 18th India-ASEAN Summit provided an opportunity to review the various facets of this relationship and give a direction to the future of the India-ASEAN Strategic Partnership at the highest level, it said.
PM Modi also welcomed Cambodia as the new chair and Singapore and the coordinator and said India will work with both to deepen the ties.
Earlier, in his speech he said that this year they were unable to take the traditional family photo due to Covid, but both sides have kept the tradition of taking forward the ASEAN-India summits in the virtual mode.
The 18th ASEAN-India Summit is the ninth ASEAN-India Summit to be attended by the prime minister. The ASEAN countries are: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
UNI/RN