20th ASEAN-India Summit

20th ASEAN-India Summit

Main Examination: General Studies Question Paper-2

(International and Regional groups)

Why In News

  • The Prime Minister attended the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Highlights of the Summit:

The Prime Minister has presented a 12-point proposal to strengthen India-ASEAN cooperation which is as follows:

  • Establishing multi-modal connectivity and economic corridor that connects South-East Asia-India-West Asia-Europe.
  • Offered to share India's digital public infrastructure stack with ASEAN partners.
  • Announced ASEAN-India Fund for a Digital Future focusing on cooperation in digital transformation and financial connectivity.
  • Renewed support to the Economic and Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) was announced to act as a knowledge partner to enhance our partnership.
  • Called for collectively raising issues facing the Global South in multilateral fora.
  • Invited ASEAN countries to join the Global Center for Traditional Medicine being set up by WHO in India.
  • A call was given to work together on Mission Life.
  • Offered to share India's experience in providing affordable and quality medicines to the people through Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
  • Called for a collective fight against terrorism, terror financing and cyber-disinformation.
  • Invited ASEAN countries to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.
  • Called for cooperation in disaster management.
  • Called for enhanced cooperation on maritime safety, security and domain awareness.

The East Asia Summit (EAS)

  • This conference was started in 2005 with the holding of the first East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
  • A total of eighteen countries including ten ASEAN member countries participate in this conference.
  • These countries include: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the United States.
  • The East Asia Summit prioritizes the following six areas of cooperation: environment and energy, education, finance, global health issues and epidemic diseases, natural disaster management and ASEAN connectivity.
  • The convention addresses emerging issues such as food security, trade and economics, maritime security and cooperation, and traditional and non-traditional security.

About ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)

  • It was established in 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
  • Brunei Darussalam joined in 1984, followed by Vietnam in 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar in 1997, and Cambodia in 1999, making up the ten Member States of ASEAN.
  • ASEAN Day: 8th August.
  • ASEAN Summit: It is the highest policy-making body in ASEAN comprising the Head of States or Government of ASEAN Member States.
  • It is held twice annually at a time to be determined by the Chair of the ASEAN Summit in consultation with other ASEAN Member States.
  • The First ASEAN Summit was held in Bali, Indonesia in 1976.
  • ASEAN Coordinating Council: Established in 2008, the ASEAN Coordinating Council (ACC) comprises the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and meets at least twice a year to prepare for the ASEAN Summit.
  • ASEAN Plus: India is part of the ASEAN Plus Six grouping, which includes China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Australia as well.
  • India and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)
  • India began formal engagement with ASEAN in 1992 as a “Sectoral Dialogue Partner” and subsequently as a “Dialogue Partner” in 1995.
  • It was further upgraded to the Summit level in 2002.
  • At the 20 year Commemorative Summit Meeting in 2012 the Dialogue Partnership was further elevated to a Strategic Partnership.
  • At the 19th ASEAN-India Summit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations in 2022, the Strategic Partnership was elevated to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
  • India-ASEAN bilateral relationship started evolving since India introduced 'Look East Policy' in 1990s. This initiative was further transformed to ‘Act East Policy’ in 2014 mainly to develop economic and strategic relations with the nations of Southeast Asian countries.

Policy Goals:

  • Enhancing connectivity between India and ASEAN in the broadest sense of the term (ie, physical, digital, people-to-people, business etc.);
  • Strengthening the ASEAN organization;
  • Expanding practical cooperation in the maritime domain.
  • Bilateral Trade: The bilateral trade was $ 57 billion in 2010-11, when the FTA came into effect, and rose to $ 131 billion in 2022-23. The trade with ASEAN accounted for 11.3% of India’s global trade in 2022-23.
  • Today, Asean and India are all set to review the FTA in goods. India’s interests would be to strengthen the production linkages, besides improving the market access in strategic trade areas.
  • Asean’s interests would be to continue the expansion of export directed towards the Indian market.
  • Multilateral and Bilateral Engagements: Bilaterally, India has signed ‘strategic partnerships’ with four ASEAN countries, namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
  • At the multilateral level, India is a member of multiple ASEAN-led fora, including the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting.
  • Maritime cooperation: India’s flagship MILAN naval exercise, started in the 1990s, includes several ASEAN members.
  • India also conducts bilateral coordinated patrols with several ASEAN countries, as well as exercises such as the Singapore-India Maritime Exercise, which completed 25 years in 2018.

Areas of Differences

  • RCEP: The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership appears to be a key issue of divergence between India and ASEAN due to the latter’s decision to withdraw from the trading bloc after eight years of negotiations.
  • China’s Influence: Geopolitically, China poses a geo-political puzzle for ASEAN and is the reason for divergence between India and several ASEAN countries.
  • In Southeast Asia, while some countries like Cambodia and the Philippines have courted Chinese investment and geopolitical support, countries such as Vietnam have opposed it in certain political-security spaces such as the South China Sea.
  • QUAD: The ASEAN-India dynamics have been further complicated by the emergence of the Quadrilateral Security Initiative (the Quad), with India embracing it in its strategic lexicon.
  • ASEAN is not comfortable with the rise of the Quad, comprising the US, Japan, Australia and India, as a significant security institution in the region.
  • ASEAN does not wish to be entangled in a possible power transition taking place in the Indo-Pacific region.

Way Forward:

  • The future is bright for India-ASEAN ties. While the two sides have made tremendous progress in the last few decades and built strong linkages with each other, the potential for further growth and connections is immense.
  • As with the US and China, the ASEAN states will need to seek to balance and pursue their interests in the developing India-China dynamic.

Mains Examination Question

“India has immense opportunities from the 20th ASEAN Summit.” Discuss.