India's Participation and Diplomatic Efforts in Recent ASEAN Meet

The Importance of ASEAN in India's Foreign Policy

    - External Affairs Minister of India stressed on ASEAN being the core of India's ‘Act East Policy’ and  ‘Indo-Pacific vision’, during the recent meet that took place in Vientiane, Laos.

    - 2024 will be a significant year marking the 10th anniversary of India's Act East Policy, which was announced in 2014 at the 9th East Asia Summit.

    - This policy aims at enhancing India's commercial, strategic, and cultural relations with the Asia-Pacific region, thereby emphasising the crucial role played by the ASEAN partnership in India's political, economic, and security cooperation.

The Vision and Key Focus Areas

    - In this meet, India stood for a free, open, inclusive, and peaceful region with a rules-based international order.

    - Discussions involved expanding bilateral cooperation and people-to-people linkages.

Understanding The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

    - ASEAN, as a regional intergovernmental organisation, came into existence on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand.

    - The ASEAN Declaration was signed by five founder members: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

    - ASEAN expanded over years to include Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos PDR, Myanmar, and Cambodia. 

    - It is believed that by 2050, The ASEAN region will hold the position of the 4th-largest economy in the world.

    - ASEAN's significant role in promoting economic integration among the member countries is noteworthy, especially with its effort in negotiating the world’s largest free trade agreement - the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.

    - The ASEAN Summit is the highest policy-making body that meets twice in a year.

ndia-ASEAN Bonds

    - India-ASEAN relationship traces back to 1992 when India began formal engagements as a "Sectoral Dialogue Partner", followed by status enhancement as a "Dialogue Partner" in 1995.

    - In 2012, the relationship was uplifted to a Strategic Partnership and further to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.

Impact on Indo-Pacific Region

   - The Indo-Pacific region is a diverse, extensive area constituting the Indian and western/central Pacific Oceans, with geopolitical importance.

   - This region is home to major powers like India, US, Japan, and China. It accounts for over half the world’s population, 60% of global GDP, and 2/3rd of global economic growth.

   - The Indo-Pacific region faces certain challenges including territorial disputes, terrorism, piracy, nuclear proliferation, and environmental concerns.

   - India's vision for this region is based on the principles of freedom, openness, and inclusivity while addressing disputes peacefully and respecting every nation's sovereignty and territorial integrity.