On Thursday, Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, along with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc, will co-chair the 16th ASEAN-India Summit. Since its inception in 2014, this is the first time the meet will be conducted in a virtual format. According to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs, “The Summit will review the status of ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership and take stock of progress made in key areas such as connectivity, maritime cooperation, trade and commerce, education and capacity building etc. The leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen ASEAN-India engagement and in this context will note the adoption of ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025). Covid-19, post-pandemic economic recovery and important regional and international developments will also be discussed at the Summit.”
ASEAN is a regional grouping, which consists of ten southeast Asian countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia. The United States, China, Japan, Australia and India are the grouping’s dialogue partners.
The summit occurs at a time where economies and societies of ASEAN and India have been disproportionately struck by the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the dialogue is also crucial as several members of the ASEAN are facing territorial threats from China, as a result of its aggression in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, India, with whom China has been in a months-long standoff, has also been working with several western powers to contain China’s aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
ASEAN countries have always been crucial to India’s foreign policy. Ever since the Free Trade Agreement in goods was signed in 2009, trade between the two sides has expanded significantly, In 2019-2020, the trade between them reached over $87 billion, making ASEAN India’s fourth-largest trading partner. The onset of the pandemic also led to a sudden deterioration in trade. However, reviving its trade relations to the pre-pandemic levels is a priority for both the ASEAN countries and India.
Moreover, India has repeatedly reiterated its desire to increase collaboration with ASEAN countries. During PM Modi’s speech on the 74th Independence Day celebration this year, he said, “Today, neighbours are not the only ones with whom we share geographical boundaries, but also those with whom we have close and harmonious relations. ASEAN countries in the east, who are out maritime neighbours, also hold special importance. India has thousands of years old religious and cultural ties with these countries. The traditions of Buddhism connect us with them. Today, India is strengthening its cooperation not only in the field of security but also in the areas of marine wealth with these countries.” Moreover, in 2019, at the East Asia Summit in Bangkok, PM Modi announced the launch of the “Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative” to ensure a “safe, secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific Maritime domain.” Bolstering ties with ASEAN countries is also a part of India’s Act East policy, which focuses on furthering ASEAN-India ties by improving connectivity.
PM Modi to Co-Chair India-ASEAN Summit With Vietnamese Counterpart
The summit occurs at a time where members of the ASEAN and India are being threatened by Chinese agresssion in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific.
November 12, 2020
SOURCE: STRAITS TIMES