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In News
- August 2022 marks an important occasion of the 55th anniversary of ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations).
ASEAN-India Friendship Year
- The year 2022 also marks the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations & the 10th anniversary of India’s Strategic Partnership with ASEAN.
- So, the year has been designated as the ASEAN-India Friendship Year.
- The Special ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (SAIFMM) was hosted by India in New Delhi recently.
- Significance:
- This is important as it will strengthen the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership.
- Plan of Action 2021-2025:
- The ongoing India-ASEAN collaboration is guided by the Plan of Action 2021-2025 which was adopted in 2020.
- The plan of Action envisages greater cooperation in areas ranging from trade to maritime security and counter-terrorism.
- This is important as it will strengthen the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership.
ASEAN – India Relations:
- Multi-level interaction:
- Engagement with ASEAN is a multi-level interaction process.
- At the apex is the annual summit “ASEAN-India Summit”
- Summits are supported by meetings at the Foreign Minister level “ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting”-AIFMM.
- India shares a deep connection with ASEAN and has continued its active engagement in many areas contributing to regional peace and stability, particularly through ASEAN-led mechanisms, such as:
- East Asia Summit.
- ASEAN Regional Forum.
- ADMM-Plus.
- The ADMM Plus is an annual meeting of Defence Ministers of 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries and eight dialogue partner countries – Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States.
- Engagement with ASEAN is a multi-level interaction process.
- Delhi Dialogue:
- The ‘Delhi Dialogue’ (DD) mechanism hosted by India annually,
- It is traditionally inaugurated jointly by India and ASEAN at the Foreign Minister’s level.
- It serves as the main Track 1.5mechanism for our engagement.
- The DD-mechanism allows the participation of think tanks, academics and prominent civil society persons from both India and the ASEAN region.
- In addition to government representatives, with the objective of contributing ideas and perspectives to furthering the India-ASEAN strategic partnership.
- The XIIth edition of the Delhi Dialogue was held in June, 2022.
- Act East Policy & Indo-Pacific:
- Indo-Pacific is an interconnected geography where ASEAN is at its core.
- Both ASEAN and India believe that openness, inclusiveness, rules-based order, freedom of navigation and peaceful settlement of disputes lie at the very core of the Indo-Pacific.
- Maritime Connectivity & Security:
- India is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and ASEAN Countries have borders with Indo-Pacific waters.
- This opens up plenty of opportunities for India and other countries to work on maritime security, trade, and better supply chain networks.
- India is consciously working with ASEAN towards a vision of an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific in tandem with initiatives such as
- The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI),
- To ensure Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR).
- India and some of the ASEAN countries are also members of the recently launched Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).
- India is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and ASEAN Countries have borders with Indo-Pacific waters.
- Checks Chinese Dominance:
- Maritime cooperation in terms of connectivity, safety and security has gained high attention in the backdrop of China’s advancements in the South China Sea.
- India will gain better positioning against China’s increasing dominating presence in the area.
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):
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Way Ahead
- ASEAN-led mechanisms should be regarded as a viable regional architecture platform for the Indo-Pacific region.
- India is one of the founding members of the East Asia Summit.
- ASEAN continues to maintain its central role in the evolving regional architecture in Southeast Asia and its surrounding regions.
- India should increase its bilateral and multilateral engagements with ASEAN.
- ASEAN countries need to work to restore the ‘ASEAN centrality and unity’ through the strategic environment of competing interests.
- India should push for the reconciliation between Myanmar and the ASEAN.
- The focus must be on emerging challenges to international peace and security.
Source: TH
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