Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed the need for building a rules-based post-Covid world order and said the progress of a free and open Indo-Pacific and elevating the voice of the Global South is in the common interest of all.
He made these assertions in his address at the annual Association of South East Nations(ASEAN)-India summit in Jakarta and described the 10-nation ASEAN grouping as the epicentre of growth as the region plays a crucial role in global development.
The Prime Minister presented a 12-point proposal for strengthening India-ASEAN cooperation in areas like digital transformation, trade and economic engagement while addressing contemporary challenges like terrorism and deepening the strategic partnership. He also announced a decision to open an Indian embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste at the summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Modi said the ASEAN holds a prominent place in India’s Indo-Pacific initiative and that New Delhi is committed to working “shoulder to shoulder” with it.
The grouping is considered one of the most influential groupings in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.
“The 21st century is Asia’s century. It is our century. For this, it is necessary to build a rule-based post-COVID world order and efforts by all for human welfare,” the Prime Minister, co-chairing the summit, said. “The progress of free and open Indo-Pacific and elevating the voice of the Global South is in the common interest of all,” he said.
Modi also reaffirmed that ASEAN is the central pillar of India’s Act East Policy and it fully supports ASEAN centrality and its outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
“Our history and geography connect India and ASEAN. Along with shared values, regional unity, peace, prosperity, and a shared belief in a multipolar world also binds us together,” he said, adding the grouping holds a “prominent place” in India’s Indo-Pacific initiative.
It was the first summit between the two sides since the elevation of their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year.
“Today, even in an environment of global uncertainties, there is continuous progress in every field in our mutual cooperation. This is a testament to the strength and resilience of our relationship,” he said
In his opening remarks, Modi said: “ASEAN matters because here everyone’s voice is heard, and ASEAN is the epicentre of growth because the ASEAN region plays a crucial role in global development.”
“Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — one earth, one family, one future — this sentiment is also the theme of India’s G-20 Presidency,” Modi noted.
ASEAN-India dialogue relations started with the establishment of a sectoral partnership in 1992.
This graduated to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995 and a summit-level partnership in 2002. The ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012.
The 10 member countries of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodia.
The ties between India and ASEAN have been on a significant upswing in the last few years with the focus being on boosting cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence.
Two joint statements — one on Maritime Cooperation, and the other on Food Security — were adopted at the summit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
At the summit, Prime Minister Modi held extensive discussions with ASEAN partners on further strengthening of ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and charting its future course, it said.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed ASEAN’s centrality in the Indo-Pacific region and highlighted the synergies between India’s Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative and ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
He also emphasised the need to complete the review of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement in a time-bound manner.
The Prime Minister presented a 12-point proposal for strengthening India-ASEAN cooperation covering connectivity, digital transformation, trade and economic engagement, addressing contemporary challenges, people-to-people contacts and deepening strategic engagement.
Under the 12-point proposal, the prime minister called for a collective fight against terrorism, terror financing and cyber-disinformation.
He called for collectively raising issues being faced by Global South in multilateral fora, the statement said. The Prime Minister invited ASEAN countries to join the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine being established by World Health Organisation in India and called for working together on Mission LiFE, an India-led global mass movement to nudge individual and community action to protect and preserve the environment.
In addition to India and ASEAN Leaders, Timor-Leste participated in the Summit as an observer. In view of strengthening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the meeting reviewed the progress made under ASEAN-India dialogue relations and welcomed the adoption of the Annex to the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity (2021-2025), ASEAN statement said.
Reiterating both sides’ shared vision for a peaceful, stable, prosperous, rules-based, open and inclusive region, the Leaders of ASEAN and India also adopted the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation, it said.
Modi’s proposal came days after a number of ASEAN member countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines reacted sharply to China’s territorial claim over the South China Sea in its latest edition of the “Standard Map of China”. India had also rejected China’s new map which showed Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin as Chinese territories.
Modi also attended the 18th East Asia Summit in Jakarta. In his address, Modi reiterated the importance of the EAS mechanism and reaffirmed India’s support to further strengthen it.
