Why in the News?

During the 21^st India-ASEAN Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined a 10-point plan to enhance the India-ASEAN partnership, emphasizing its importance for Asia’s future. He highlighted the doubling of India-ASEAN trade to over USD 130 billion in the last decade and announced a review of the trade in goods agreement to unlock further economic potential. This year marks the 10th anniversary of India's Act East Policy, revitalizing ties with ASEAN nations.

10-Point Plan

• Celebrating 2025 as ASEAN-India Year of Tourism for which India will make available USD 5 million towards joint activities;
• Celebrate a decade of Act East Policy through several people centric activities including Youth Summit, Start-up Festival, Hackathon, Music Festival, ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks and Delhi Dialogue;
• Organize ASEAN-India Women Scientists Conclave under ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund;
• Doubling the number of scholarships at Nalanda University and provision of new scholarships for ASEAN students at Agricultural Universities in India;
• Review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement by 2025;
• Enhancing Disaster Resilience for which India will make available USD 5 million;
• Initiate a new Health Ministers’ track towards building Health Resilience;
• Initiate a regular mechanism of ASEAN-India Cyber Policy Dialogue towards strengthening Digital and Cyber Resilience;
• Workshop on Green Hydrogen
• Invited ASEAN Leaders to join the ‘Plant a Tree for Mother’ campaign towards building climate resilience.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 21st ASEAN-India Summit in Vientiane, Laos.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

• It is a regional organization which was established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states.
• Establishment: 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand
• Motto: “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.
• 8^th August is observed as ASEAN Day.
• Secretariat: Jakarta, Indonesia.
• Ten Members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
• Evolution
  • Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), 1961: It was formed by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand to promote economic, cultural, and social cooperation.
  • Bangkok Declaration, 1967: Formal establishment by the Founding Fathers; Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
  • Addition of Brunei (1984), Vietnam (1995), Laos and Myanmar (1997), and Cambodia (1999).
  • Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), 1976: It established a framework for peaceful relations and cooperation among member states.
  • ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA), 1992: It aimed to create a free trade area among member countries.
  • ASEAN Charter, 2008: It provides a legal framework for the organization and strengthens its institutional structure.
  • ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), 2015: It aimed to integrate the economies of member countries and promote regional economic growth.
  • ASEAN joins Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), 2020: A free trade agreement.
• India is not a member, but formally engage as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner.

Location of Member Countries