The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a geo-political and economic organisation of ten countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Its aims include accelerating economic growth, social progress, and cultural development among its members, protection of regional peace and stability, and opportunities for member countries to discuss differences peacefully.

India’s focus on a strengthened and multi-faceted relationship with ASEAN is an outcome of the significant changes in the world’s political and economic scenario since the early 1990s and India’s own march towards economic liberalization.

India’s search for economic space has resulted in our ‘Look East’ policy. ASEAN’s economic, political and strategic importance in the larger Asia-Pacific Region and its potential to become a major partner of India in trade and investment is a significant factor in our policy paradigms. ASEAN’s steady expansion westward to include Myanmar has also brought it to our land boundaries. It now provides a land bridge for India to connect with the ASEAN countries. ASEAN, on its part, seeks access to India’s professional and technical strengths.

India became a sectoral partner of ASEAN in 1992, a dialogue partner in 1996 and a summit level partner at Phnom Penh in 2002. At the Bali Summit in 2003, India and the ASEAN signed the Instrument of Accession to the treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South East Asia, a framework agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and a joint declaration for cooperation to combat international terrorism.

• The Vientiane summit of 2004 was a milestone in India-ASEAN relations. The ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity and the Plan of Action to implement it were finalised. The first plan of action was implemented from 2004-10. The second plan of action for 2010-15 has been adopted and being implemented.
• India and ASEAN have convergence in their security perspectives. India have vital stakes in peace and stability in the region, including the security of the sea-lanes of the Indian Ocean for smooth flow of raw materials, merchandise and energy supplies. Since 1996, India has been an active participant in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
• Since 2002, India has annual Summits with ASEAN – along with China, Japan and Republic of Korea.
• ASEAN now has a charter which came into force on 15th December, 2008. With the adoption of this charter, it is functioning as an organization within and its relationship with the outside world has acquired a new institutional form. In terms of this charter, India appoints Ambassador/PR to ASEAN.

In December 2012, New Delhi hosted the India-ASEAN Commemorative Summit to mark 20-years of its association with the grouping and 10-years of its summit level partnership. The India-ASEAN relationship was elevated to a strategic partnership at the 2012 meeting. The leaders also adopted a vision statement or a blueprint for the future India-ASEAN cooperation.

In the past year, New Delhi has tried to fulfill some of the agenda of the vision statement signed in December 2012. The ASEAN-India Centre was inaugurated in New Delhi on 21 June 2013. It will be a resource centre for India-ASEAN strategic partnership. The External Affairs Ministry is also setting up a separate ASEAN-India Trade and Investment Centre.

Another area of focus is improving land, sea and air connectivity. New Delhi has started the annual ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee with a meeting in June this year. The India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway is expected to be completed by 2016 and is expected to boost growth in India's northeast region.

The India-ASEAN Delhi Dialogue is an annual international conference of political and economic leaders, officials, academics and opinion-makers of ASEAN countries with their Indian counterparts to discuss how to intensify and broaden political, strategic, economic and civil society interaction between the two regions.

Trade and Investment 

India's exports to Asean declined by 10.2 per cent in 2012-13 to $32 billion, while imports grew by 2.86 per cent to $43.7 billion, leaving a trade gap of about $11 billion.. 

The Framework Agreement for Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, signed in 2005, is at the heart of our economic engagement with ASEAN. The key elements of Framework Agreement on CECA cover FTA in Goods, Services and Investment as well as Economic Cooperation in identified areas. The major component of FTA viz. the Trade-in-Goods (TiG) agreement was signed at the ASEAN-India Economic Ministerial Meeting held on the sidelines of the 41st AEM in Bangkok on August 13, 2009 after six years of intensive negotiations. The TiG agreement has come into force with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Brunei. For other ASEAN countries it would come into force when ratified by them. The next step in the Framework agreement is for conclusion of negotiations on Trade-in-Services and Investment Agreement.Now the ambit of FTA has widened to services also as there was trade deficit with ASEAN.

Areas of Cooperation

Terrorism

ASEAN and India have signed a Joint Declaration on Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism in October, 2003 in Bali, and in the same year, India acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. The main forum for ASEAN security dialogue is the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). India has been attending annual meetings of this forum since 1996 and has actively participated in its various activities.

ICT

In the area of Information and Communication Technology, several activities have been completed in the past few years. TCIL is conducting a feasibility study on introduction of tele-education and tele-medicine in ASEAN countries.

ASEAN Connectivity Initiative

An ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on ASEAN connectivity was issued on 24th October, 2009 at the 15th ASEAN Summit in Hua Hin, Thailand to improve intra-ASEAN connectivity as well as connectivity with its dialogue partners. It called for developing an ASEAN Master Plan on regional connectivity through formation of a High level task force. It also called for completing an ASEAN ICT Master Plan in 2010 to improve connectivity.

Progress in the key area of connectivity has been achieved. Today, there are over 215 direct and indirect flights every week between India and Singapore, 115 flights with Thailand and 50 with Malaysia. The work on the Trilateral Highway Project between India, Myanmar and Thailand is also progressing. ASEAN and India have also proposed to build a new highway India-Myanmar-Laos-Cambodia-Vietnam at the India-ASEAN Ministerial meeting held in July, 2010. Under Mekong-Ganga Cooperation programme an agreement has been reached to build Delhi-Hanoi rail link. Under ICT connectivity Optical Fibres have been laid upto Mandalay in Myanmar.

Open Skies Agreement

In pursuance of PM’s announcement at the 6th ASEAN Summit at Singapore on 21st November 07 on open skies agreement ASEAN proposed ASEAN-India Aviation Cooperation Framework that would lead to an eventual Open Skies Agreement (OSA) between ASEAN and India. A draft Air Services Agreement (ASA) based upon the framework has been considered at these meetings. It has been agreed to continue the negotiations through the Joint Working Group which was expected to meet early next year.

Recent trends

Signalling a sharper interest in Asean, India in April 2014, appointed its first dedicated ambassador to the region. Suresh Reddy will be in charge of India's relations with the East Asia Summit and the 10-nation grouping.

Asean and India have entered into a regional economic comprehensive partnership resulting in trade worth $76 billion.India and ASEAN are also negotiating agreement on trade in services, which has been approved by Indian Cabinet in February 2014.

The India-ASEAN relationship has acquired maturity. The interest of the ASEAN in India has remained unabated since the former’s welcome of our ‘Look East Policy’. There is mutual recognition that strengthened India-ASEAN relations, which are rooted in deep historical and cultural ties, serve the interests of both India and ASEAN. The mutual desire to move ahead rapidly is also clear. The annual Summits are an unqualified success in building strong ties grounded in an impressive architecture of regional cooperation, for India’s benefit.

Asean-India Commemorative Summit-2018

ASEAN- INDIA commemorative summit took place to celebrate 25th anniversary of establishment of  dialogue partnership. The theme of the summit was “Shared Values, Common Destiny”.

The summit was followed by an unprecedented attendance of  10 ASEAN HEADS as the Chief Guests for the celebration of India’s 69th Annual Republic Day. This is for the first time that India has not 1 but 10 world leaders as Chief Guests for the Republic Day.

Importance

The most significant outcome of the summit was the “Delhi Declaration’’,  which talks about various issues like maritime cooperation, stability, economic ties, joint fight against terror etc.

The summit comes in the background of the expansionist tactics followed  by China in the South China Sea and also marking a major shift from India’s earlier “LOOK EAST” POLICY to the enhanced “ACT EAST” POLICY,  which signifies India’s increased commitment to ASEAN members.

ASEAN accepted India as a sectoral partner in 1992 and full time dialogue partner in 1996. ASEAN has thus helped India expand in Asia ,post LPG reforms and motivating to formulate its “Look East” policy, which India has enhanced to as “Act East” policy to strengthen relations with the eastern neighbor countries.

India and ASEAN signed a Free Trade Agreement in 2009 which came into effect in 2010. The FTA  has strengthened the economic ties between both the sides. The trade between the two stood around $ 70Bn for 2016-2017.

Analysis of the summit

A major discussion  took place on issues of Maritime cooperation and security-  where PM Modi reiterated the primacy of UNCLOS of 1982 and spoke in support of Rule of Law in the region  of South China Sea. This comes in background of the assertive behavior manifested by China in that region.  India already conducts maritime exercises and patrols with the members of ASEAN. Need of Code of Conduct over South China Sea was also expressed.

For the first time both the parties mentioned “ cross border movement of terrorists” and made a commitment to counter and combat them through “close cooperation”.

Both  side agreed  “to intensify efforts  in 2018 toward the swift conclusion of RCEP”. Singapore PM LEE HSIEN LOONG expressed his willingness and hoped that a conclusion could be reached by this year. RCEP(REGIONAL  COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP) once established would be the biggest FREE TRADE BLOCK in the world covering almost 30% of world GDP.

The two sides reiterated the need to enhance connectivity , not just physical but digital and other forms as well. Singapore  PM (who is current CHAIR OF ASEAN ) expressed his willingness in developing connectivity through ASEAN –INDIA Air TRANSPORT AGREEMENT along with connectivity in an E-payment system.

[note: -An India-Myanmar-Thailand highway from Moreh in North-eastern India to Mae Sot(Thailand) is already under construction. The project could further be extended to Cambodia, Laos or Vietnam.]

Way forward

Development of India-ASEAN ties cannot be seen in isolation of international developments and though both the sides have expressed greater engagement in past two decades and have come a long way since then , there are challenges that need to be overcome -

The constant assertive behavior of China in strategic areas that needs to be dealt with. India has shown its support to ASEAN. INDIA needs more formal channels to put a check to its tactics. Role of QUAD involving India, Japan, Australia,US could act as a check to China and also provide maritime security in INDO-PACIFIC regions.

Despite the FTA between ASEAN-INDIA trade in goods was restricted to US $ 58.6 Bn in 2016, which is only 2.6% of  ASEAN’s external trade(2016). In contrast its trade with CHINA stood to US $ 368 Bn.

Many of the connectivity projects such as KALADAN, INDIA-MYANMAR-THILAND trilateral highway  have been constantly delayed for various reasons some of which remain outside of India’s jurisdiction. Expeditious improvement in these projects is required.

There is a great and substantial potential particularly in the fields of economic , cultural ,religious spheres where both the sides have familiarity and solidarity and hence should mobilize diplomatic and soft skill factors to enhance cooperation in these fields .

Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC)

MGC is an initiative by six countries – India and five ASEAN countries, namely, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communications.

It was launched in 2000 at Vientiane, Lao PDR.

At the 6th meet Ministers agreed to widen collaboration into newer areas, such as SME cooperation, conservation of Rice Germplasm, setting up a Working Group on Health, establishment of a Common Archival Resource Centre (CARC) at the Nalanda University.

India was the host for the 8th MGC Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) in New Delhi on April 2017.