24th ASEAN-India Meeting | 17 Jun 2022

Why in News?

Recently, the 24^th ASEAN-India Senior Official's Meeting (SOM) was hosted in Delhi.

• India and ASEAN celebrated the 30^th anniversary of their Dialogue Relations.
• Earlier, the 2^nd ASEAN Digital Ministers' (ADGMIN) Meeting with India held, where two sides finalized India-ASEAN Digital work plan 2022 for future collaboration in the field.

What are the Key Highlights?

• The SOM reviewed the ASEAN-India strategic partnership and its future direction.
• The leaders made their assessment on the progress of cooperation under three pillars of Partnership – Political-Security, Economic and Socio-Cultural.
• The meeting deliberated on the steps for further implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025).
• The two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest including the Covid-19 pandemic and post-pandemic recovery.
• Underlining the India’s vision of the Indo-Pacific, emphasized the implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) to strengthen the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership.
• The ASEAN side appreciated India’s support to ASEAN and ASEAN-led architecture in the region.

How has Been the ASEAN-India Relations?

• About:
  • ASEAN, a 10-nation grouping, is considered one of the most influential groupings in Southeast Asia.
  • India and several other countries, including the US, China, Japan and Australia, are its dialogue partners.
  • The ASEAN-India dialogue relations started with the establishment of a sectoral partnership in 1992.
  • This graduated to full dialogue partnership in December 1995 and summit-level partnership in 2002.
  • Traditionally the basis of India-ASEAN ties has been trade and people-to-people ties due to shared historical and cultural roots, a more recent and urgent area of convergence has been balancing China’s rise.
    • Both India and ASEAN aim to establish a rules-based security architecture for peaceful development in the region, in contrast to China’s aggressive policies.
• Areas of Cooperation:
  • Economic Cooperation:
    • ASEAN is India’s 4^th largest trading partner.
    • India signed FTA (Free Trade Agreement) in goods in 2009 and an FTA in services and investments in 2014 with ASEAN.
    • India has a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with various countries of the ASEAN region which has resulted in concessional trade and a rise in investments.
  • Political Cooperation:
    • ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) was established to undertake policy research, advocacy and networking activities with organizations and think-tanks in India and ASEAN.
  • Financial Assistance:
    • India provides financial assistance to the ASEAN nations through various mechanism like ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund, ASEAN-India S&T Development Fund and ASEAN-India Green Fund.
  • Connectivity:
    • India has been undertaking several connectivity projects like India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral (IMT) Highway and the Kaladan Multimodal Project.
    • India is also trying to establish a Maritime Transportation Agreement with ASEAN and also Plans for a Railway link between New Delhi in India to Hanoi in Vietnam.
  • Socio-Cultural Cooperation:
    • Programmes to boost People-to-People Interaction with ASEAN are organized, such as inviting ASEAN students to India, Special Training Course for ASEAN diplomats, Exchange of Parliamentarians, etc.
  • Defence Cooperation:
    • Joint Naval and Military exercises are conducted between India and most ASEAN countries.
    • Vietnam has traditionally been a close friend on defense issues, Singapore is also an equally important partner.

What is the Significance of ASEAN for India?

• India needs a close diplomatic relationship with ASEAN nations both for economic and security reasons.
• Connectivity with the ASEAN nations can allow India to improve its presence in the region.
  • These connectivity projects keep Northeast India at the centre, ensuring the economic growth of the northeastern states.
• Improved trade ties with the ASEAN nations would mean a counter to China’s presence in the region and economic growth and development for India.
• ASEAN occupies a centralised position in the rules-based security architecture in the Indo-Pacific, which is vital for India since most of its trade is dependent on maritime security.
• Collaboration with the ASEAN nations is necessary to counter insurgency in the Northeast, combat terrorism, tax evasions etc.

Way Forward

• With China having three times more commercial flights than India to Southeast Asia, improving air connectivity between India and ASEAN countries should also be high on the agenda.
• India can become the military partner after the Atma Nirbar Bharat, Make in India projects are successfully implemented.
• There is need to expand the Concept of QUAD to include the ASEAN countries and become a QUAD+ arrangement.
  • Vietnam and Indonesia have expressed a positive note on QUAD in the region.
• Tourism can be encouraged between India and the ASEAN with some creative branding by the two sides.

Source: TH