INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

REGIONAL GROUPINGS
ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8
August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration
(Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia,
Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao
PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up
what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.
The motto of ASEAN is One Vision, One Identity, One Community.
The ASEAN Secretariat was set up in February 1976 by the Foreign Ministers of
ASEAN. It is housed at Jakarta, Indonesia. The ASEAN Secretariats basic function
is to provide for greater efficiency in the coordination of ASEAN organs and for
more effective implementation of ASEAN projects and activities
Members: Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand,
Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam.
Indias focus on a strengthened and multi-faceted relationship with ASEAN is an
outcome of the significant changes in the worlds political and economic
scenario since the early 1990s and Indias own march towards economic
liberalisation.
Indias search for economic space resulted in the Look East Policy. The Look East
Policy has today matured into a dynamic and action oriented Act East Policy.
Apart from ASEAN, India has taken other policy initiatives in the region that involve
some members of ASEAN like BIMSTEC, Mekong-Ganga Cooperation etc. The
MGC is an initiative by India and five ASEAN countries, Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for cooperation in tourism, culture, education, as
well as transport and communications.
India is also an active participant in several regional forums like the Asia-Europe
Meeting(ASEM), East Asia Summit(EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum(ARF), ASEAN
Defence Ministers' Meeting+ (ADMM+) and Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum
(EAMF).
India's relationship with ASEAN is a key pillar of our foreign policy and the
foundation of our Act East Policy. The up-gradation of the relationship into a
Strategic Partnership in 2012 was a natural progression to the ground covered
since India became a Sectoral Partner of the ASEAN in 1992, Dialogue Partner
in 1996 and Summit Level Partner in 2002. There are, in total, 30 Dialogue
Mechanisms between India and ASEAN, cutting across various sectors.

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 The Plan of Action (POA) to Implement the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace,
Progress and Shared Prosperity (2016-2020) was adopted on 2015. The POA
2016-2020 comprises three broad areas, namely political and security
cooperation; economic cooperation; and socio-cultural cooperation. Projects
and activities conducted under the POA 2016-2020 include annual meetings/visits,
seminars/workshops, training courses and exchange programmes.
Combined population - 1.8 billion = 1/4th of total world population.
Combined GDP - 4 trillion USD.

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
In their relations with one another, the ASEAN Member States have adopted the
following fundamental principles, as contained in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
in Southeast Asia (TAC) of 1976: to which India also acceded in 2003.
1. Mutual respect for the independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity,
and national identity of all nations;
2. The right of every State to lead its national existence free from external
interference, subversion or coercion;
3. Non-interference in the internal affairs of one another;
4. Settlement of differences or disputes by peaceful manner;
5. Renunciation of the threat or use of force; and
6. Effective cooperation among themselves.

TIMELINE OF INDIA ASEAN RELATIONS

1990 India starts engaging with ASEAN, part of Look East Policy.
1992 India becomes a sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN
1996 India becomes full dialogue partner of ASEAN
2002 India starts having annual summits with ASEAN
2003 India accedes to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia
(TAC)
India signs counter-terrorism declaration with ASEAN.
2009 FTA in goods signed
This established Free Trade Area established between India-ASEAN.
2012 20thAnniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue.
Now India becomes a strategic partner of ASEAN
2014 FTA in services and investment signed- by all ASEAN nations with India
except Philippines.
COMMEMORATIVE SUMMIT
India and ASEAN would observe 25 years of their Dialogue Partnership, 15
years of Summit Level interaction and 5 years of Strategic Partnership in 2017
by undertaking a wide range of activities, both in India and through our Missions in
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 ASEAN Member States, including a Commemorative Summit on the theme
"Shared Values, Common Destiny.

ASEAN-INDIA CENTRE (AIC)

To undertake policy research, advocacy and networking activities with
organizations and think-tanks in India and ASEAN, with the aim to promote the
ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership.
AIC has provided some very valuable inputs to policy makers in India and ASEAN
on implementation of ASEAN-India connectivity by organising seminars,
roundtables etc. AIC also organizes workshops, seminars and conferences on
various cross-cutting issues relevant to ASEAN-India strategic partnership. It
undertakes regular networking activities with relevant public/private agencies,
organizations and think-tanks in India and ASEAN and EAS countries, with the aim
of providing up-to-date information, data resources and sustained interaction, for
promoting ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT

India-ASEAN trade and investment relations have been growing steadily, with
ASEAN being India's fourth largest trading partner. The annual trade between
India and ASEAN stood at approximately US$77billion in 2014-15. It declined to
US$66billion in 2015-16 essentially due to declining commodity prices amidst a
general slowing down of the global economy.

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 Investment flows are also substantial both ways, with ASEAN accounting for
approximately 12.5% of investment flows into India since 2000.FDI inflows into
India from ASEAN between 2000 to 2016 was about US$50 billion, while FDI
outflows from India to ASEAN countries was about US$40 billion.
The ASEAN-India Free Trade Area has been completed with the entering into force
of the ASEAN-India Agreements on Trade in Service and Investments on 2015.
ASEAN and India have been also working on enhancing private sector
engagement. ASEAN India-Business Council (AIBC) was set up in 2003 in Kuala
Lumpur as a forum to bring key private sector players from India and the ASEAN
countries on a single platform for business networking and sharing of ideas.
India ASEAN is slated to grow faster than the rest of the world due to a favorable
demographic profile and growing market for goods and services.
Indias trade relations are shifting from West economies towards the East,
comprising of Japan, China, Korea and ASEAN.

CONNECTIVITY
In 2013, India became the third dialogue partner of ASEAN to initiate an ASEAN
Connectivity Coordinating Committee-India Meeting.
While India has made considerable progress in implementing the India-Myanmar-
Thailand Trilateral Highway and the Kaladan Multimodal Project, issues
related to increasing the maritime and air connectivity between ASEAN and India
and transforming the corridors of connectivity into economic corridors are under
discussion. The Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project is a project that
will connect the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe seaport
in Myanmar by sea; it will then link Sittwe seaport
to Paletwa in Myanmar via Kaladan river boat route and then from Paletwa on
to Mizoram by road transport.

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 A possible extension to India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway to
Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam is also under consideration.
A consensus on finalising the proposed protocol of the India-Myanmar-Thailand
Motor Vehicle Agreement (IMT MVA) has been reached. This agreement will
have a critical role in realizing seamless movement of passenger, personal and
cargo vehicles along roads linking India, Myanmar and Thailand.
PM announced a Line of Credit of US$ 1 billion to promote projects that support
physical and digital connectivity between India and ASEAN and a Project
Development Fund with a corpus of INR 500 crores to develop manufacturing
hubs in CLMV countries.

FUNDS
ASEAN Multilateral Division offers project-based financial assistance to ASEAN
countries. Financial assistance has been provided to ASEAN countries from the
following Funds:

ASEAN-INDIA COOPERATION FUND

At ASEAN-India Summit in 2009, India announced a contribution of US$ 50 million
to the ASEAN-India Fund, to support implementation of the ASEAN-India Plans
of Action, which envisage cooperation in a range of sectors in the political,
economic and socio-cultural spheres for deepening and intensifying ASEAN-India
cooperation. In order to take the development and capacity building initiatives
forward, PM has proposed enhancing the ASEAN-India Fund with an additional
grant of US$ 50 million at the 14th ASEAN India Summit, 2016.

ASEAN-INDIA S&T DEVELOPMENT FUND

At ASEAN-India Summit in 2007, India announced the setting up of an ASEAN-
India Science & Technology Development Fund with a US$ 1 million contribution
from India to promote joint collaborative R&D research projects in Science &
Technology. This fund has been enhanced to US$5 million from 2016-17.

ASEAN-INDIA GREEN FUND

At ASEAN-India Summit in 2007, India announced the setting up of an ASEAN-
India Green Fund with an initial contribution of US$ 5 million from India, to support
collaboration activities relating to environment and climate change. Some of the
areas identified for collaboration under the Fund are climate change, energy
efficiency, clean technologies, renewable energy, biodiversity conservation and
environmental education.

ASEAN-INDIA PROJECTS
India has been cooperating with ASEAN by way of implementation of various projects
in the fields of Agriculture, Science & Technology, Space, Environment & Climate
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Change, Human Resource Development, Capacity Building, New and Renewable
Energy, Tourism, People-to-People contacts, Connectivity. Programmes and projects
totalling over US$50million have been proposed since 2011 till date to ASEAN
through the ASEAN Secretariat and are under various stages of processing.
Space Project envisaging establishment of a Tracking, Data Reception/Data
Processing Station in Vietnam and upgradation of Telemetry Tracking and
Command Station in Indonesia;
Setting up of Centres of Excellence in Software Development & Training in
CLMV countries;
e-Network for provision of tele-medicine and tele-education in CLMV countries,
Quick Impact Projects in CLMV etc.
India has been supporting ASEAN, especially CLMV countries under the Initiatives
for ASEAN Integration, which include projects on Training of English Language
for Law Enforcement Officers in CLMV countries
Training of professionals dealing with capital markets in CLMV by National
Institute of Securities Management Mumbai.
Scholarships for ASEAN students for higher education at Nalanda University.
Training of ASEAN Civil Servants in drought management, disaster risk
management, sustainable ground water management etc.
To boost People-to-people Interaction with ASEAN, India has been organising
various programmes including Training Programme for ASEAN diplomats,
Exchange of Parliamentarians, Participation of ASEAN students in the National
Childrens Science Congress, ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks, ASEAN-India
Eminent Persons Lecture Series, ASEAN-India Students Exchange programme,
ASEAN-India Media Exchange programme etc.
In the field of agriculture, we have cooperation with ASEAN by way of projects
such as Exchange of Farmers, ASEAN-India Fellowships for Higher Agricultural
Education in India and ASEAN, Exchange of Agriculture Scientists, Empowerment
of ASEAN-Indian Women through Cooperatives, Training Course on Organic
Certification for Fruits and Vegetables etc.
In the S&T field, we have projects such as ASEAN-India S&T Digital Library,
ASEAN-India Virtual Institute for Intellectual Property, ASEAN-India Collaborative
Project on S&T for Combating Malaria, ASEAN-India Programme on Quality
Systems in Manufacturing, ASEAN-India Collaborative R&D Project on
Mariculture, Bio-mining and Bioremediation Technologies etc.
So as to curb security threats, India has conveyed that it is prepared to support
short-term training courses in areas such as investigation of cyber crimes, money
laundering, credit cases, precursor chemicals etc. The courses would be
conducted through National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). These would be financed
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 through ASEAN India Cooperation Fund. These institutions are putting up the
project proposal for these training courses in the near future.

STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE
ASEAN nations are at the intersections of major land and sea routes.
The Future architecture of Asia is going to be shaped by the US, China and India.
Maritime boundary disputes between China and a number of ASEAN countries;
claims over South China Sea hence those ASEAN countries look towards India
as a counterbalance against China. An international tribunal ruled that China has
no historical claim over the South China Seasomething Beijing has chosen to
ignore. With the US under President Donald Trump giving mixed signals about its
commitment to the region, strategic uncertainties in the region are growing.
For India, a stronger posturing at ASEAN provides its stature as a global power.
After all, without becoming a strong regional player first, we cannot dream of
becoming global power.
There is a lot of demand for Indian presence which most regional states view as a
benign force. But India is yet to give a signal that its remains committed to a long-
term strategic presence in the region. Economically, India needs to develop
connectivity with the region so that economic complementarities can be fully
realised. Military, India needs to evolve into a robust security provider in the
region. Diplomatically, it needs a sustained outreach. Culturally, it needs to build
on the shared cultural linkages. And most importantly, New Delhi needs to build
intellectual capital in the region so that India is studied and understood much
more than is the case today.

CHINA ANGLE
Indian projects are delayed in region like the Kaladan Multi-modal Transit
Transport Project and the north-east Myanmar connectivity has also been a
problem. China has now gained an edge in this area and therefore, it is important
to contain them. Countries like Thailand, Laos and Cambodia are much closer to
China. At present, ASEAN is itself split on issues like South China Sea and does
not have a united kind of stand. Indian trade under performs in this region and
China is far ahead of India. Security policies follow trade policies in a certain way.
Both have to match up with each other.
ASEAN is becoming a victim of Chinese assertiveness/pseudo-bullying. For
example in the 2012 meeting of ASEAN at Phnom Penh, no joint statement was
issued-for the first time in the 45 years of history of ASEAN Summits.
In wake of such unprecedented influencing of China into the ASEAN matters, the
ASEAN is looking towards India like never before.

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SECURITY COOPERATION
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. The ASEAN Defence Ministers'
Meeting (ADMM) is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism
in ASEAN. The ADMM+ brings together Defence Ministers from the 10 ASEAN
nations plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea,
Russia, and the United States on a biannual basis.
One of the most important aspects is security in maritime domain. There is a need
to ensure security and stability in the sea and efforts are required collectively in
this matter.

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