NEW DELHI: Leaders of India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) will review their relations in areas ranging from maritime security to the digital economy and provide directions for future cooperation at a summit in Indonesia on September 7.
A new initiative on maritime security is expected to be among key outcomes of the Asean- India Summit to be held in Jakarta on Thursday, people familiar with the matter said. Days ahead of the G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making a brief visit to Indonesia to attend the India-Asean Summit and East Asia Summit.
Modi will leave for Indonesia during the night on September 6 and return to New Delhi late in the evening the following day. Indonesia, the current chair of Asean, made adjustments to the schedule for both summits to facilitate Modi’s early return. Officials said Modi will not hold any bilateral meetings on the margins of the two summits in view of his tight schedule.
This will be the first Asean- India Summit since the two sides elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022, and the focus since then has been on maritime security, cyber-security, digital economy and emerging areas of cooperation. An Asean-India defence ministers’ meeting was held last November and the two sides conducted their first maritime exercise in May.
{{/usCountry}}This will be the first Asean- India Summit since the two sides elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022, and the focus since then has been on maritime security, cyber-security, digital economy and emerging areas of cooperation. An Asean-India defence ministers’ meeting was held last November and the two sides conducted their first maritime exercise in May.
{{/usCountry}}The Asean Summit will be an opportunity for the leadership to review progress in relations and to provide further direction for cooperation, said Saurabh Kumar, secretary (East) in the external affairs ministry. The relationship with Asean is a central pillar of India’s Act East policy and the vision for the wider Indo-Pacific, he told a media briefing.
Both sides also share a similar vision for the Indo-Pacific and are committed to building on the synergy between Asean’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, Kumar said.
With India and Asean observing the 30th anniversary of their partnership in 2022, the Indian side has focused on increasing connectivity in the physical, digital and economic domains. India and Indonesia launched direct flights through two private airlines in August, and India has also started direct flights to Vietnam.
Following the linking of the real-time cross-border payment systems of India and Singapore in February, Kumar said the Indian side is “looking at ways to expand this to other Asean countries”.
India-Asean trade was worth $131.5 billion during 2022-23, with the 10-member bloc accounting for more than 11% of India’s total trade for the period. The two sides have also begun a review of the India-Asean trade in goods agreement to make it more friendly and trade facilitative, to enhance and diversify trade, and to address existing asymmetries. This review is expected to be completed by 2025, Kumar said.
The East Asia Summit, which brings together the 10 Asean members and eight dialogue partners (Australia, India, China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the US), is a key mechanism for dialogue on strategic matters. Kumar said India is committed to strengthening this platform and making it more effective to deal with contemporary challenges.