Bali (Indonesia), Nov.19 (ANI): Describing India's partnership with ASEAN as one of the cornerstones of Indian foreign policy, and the foundation of the country's "Look East" policy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said in his address at the 9th ASEAN-India Summit that a "rich agenda of cooperation" has been put in place that has benefited both India and ASEAN.
"In the relatively short span of our full dialogue partnership with ASEAN, we have put in place a rich agenda of cooperation. This has benefited both of us, and is contributing to the processes of integration and transformation of the Asia-Pacific region," said Dr. Singh.
Focusing on trade and economic relations with the 10-nation regional grouping, Dr. Singh said trade with ASEAN has increased by 30 percent in 2010-11, and has crossed the 50-billion dollar mark. This, he said, was due in part to the significant signing of the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement for Trade in Goods last year and its ratification by Cambodia in August 2011.
"With such a rate of growth we should be able to achieve our trade target of 70 billion US dollar by 2012. The inaugural India-ASEAN Business Fair was held in New Delhi in March 2011 along with meetings of the India-ASEAN Business Summit and Business Council. Investments from both sides are steadily growing," the Indian Prime Minister said.
Praising the fact of having annual summits with ASEAN, Dr. Singh said such meetings and other ministerial-level consultations would have a beneficial impact and effect for both India and the 10 ASEAN member nations.
He said that the 9th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultations were held in August 2011 in Manado, and it was satisfying to know that the ministers have agreed to a structured private sector engagement in the five areas of pharmaceuticals, innovation and skills training, information technology, manufacturing and infrastructure. e further said that he sought ASEAN's support for the early conclusion of a commercially meaningful services and investment agreement.
"This would create a positive atmosphere for the implementation of the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement as envisaged in our Framework Agreement of 2003. We should endorse the decision taken at the last round of negotiations in October 2011 to conclude the Agreement by March 2012," he added.
He said that it was also a matter of satisfaction that the first ASEAN-India Meeting on Agriculture was held in October 2011, as also the first meeting of the India-ASEAN Green Fund in Cambodia in October 2011.
Recalling the last ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dr. Singh said: "We had called for developing a long-term vision for the strategic partnership between ASEAN and India. We have taken the first step in this direction by constituting the ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Group. The Group has been tasked to draft a ASEAN-India Vision 2020 document and has already held two meetings in August 2011 and October 2011."
He also said that an 82-point Plan of Action had followed the successful implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2004-2010 that had listed specific items of cooperation, for the period 2010-2015.
"India has forwarded a number of cooperative projects as part of this Plan as well as part of the 50 million US dollar ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund to the ASEAN Secretariat. We look forward to an early response from the ASEAN side. The expansion of our cooperation in the fields of science and technology, space and information technology has generated considerable enthusiasm on both sides. So too has our cooperation in the area of training, capacity building and human resource development in various sectors," the Prime Minister said.e further said that there were several projects under implementation under the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Fund.
"Based on the feedback from the ASEAN, our Department of Space has revised its proposal for a five year project for establishing a tracking and reception station and data processing facility for the ASEAN countries and training of ASEAN personnel. We will convene a meeting of Heads of Space Agencies of India and ASEAN in early 2012," he added.
"We have already offered to assist in the Master Plan on ASEAN ICT Connectivity and in particular on the establishment of an e-network in the CLMV countries for tele-medicine and tele-education. Our experience with initiatives to promote people-to-people exchanges has been excellent. I invite ASEAN countries to participate actively in the Nalanda University project on which work has begun," Dr. Singh said.laborating on the other achievements of the relationship, Dr. Singh said the visa on arrival facility for six ASEAN countries is now in place.
He called on ASEAN to ensure that the Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening tourism cooperation between ASEAN and India be signed at the earliest, preferably at the meeting of the ASEAN-India Tourism Ministers planned to be held in Indonesia in early 2012.
He announced that India had hosted a group of 100 students from ASEAN countries in September 2011, and based on the positive feedback, it had been decided to increase this number to 250 students per year.
"We wish to institutionalize the ASEAN-India Media Exchange Programme for a period of three years. Under this India will be ready to host two groups of 20 ASEAN journalists each year and ASEAN countries could in turn consider hosting Indian journalists to ASEAN Member States," he added.
"Greater physical connectivity between India and ASEAN remains our strategic objective. There are several proposals under consideration with regard to land and sea connectivity. These include the India-Myanmar-Thailand Highway, its extension to Laos and Cambodia and the development of a new highway also linking Vietnam," he said.
"We also have a study on a Mekong-India Economic Corridor conducted by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia which proposes the linking of corridors in the peninsular, and possibly the north east regions of India with the East Asian region," he added.
"India welcomes the growing cooperation with ASEAN on security issues, and our association with ASEAN led forums.
These have focused on maritime security, counter-terrorism, training, exercises and disaster management.
He invited delegates to attend the special ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in India, which he described as a historic occasion.
"I wish to propose the dates of December 20th and 21st, 2012 for the Summit to be held in New Delhi," he said.
He concluded by saying that India looks forward to working closely with Cambodia, as the incoming chair of ASEAN, and with all other Member States to prepare for this Summit.
"We would like the Summit to be the culmination of a year-long celebration of the India-ASEAN partnership," he said.
"I believe that our cooperation is on the right path. Given the global economic downturn, there is today an even greater urgency to our cooperation," Dr. Singh said. By Smita Prakash (ANI)
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