Vientiane: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today emphasized the deepening of India’s relations with Southeast Asian countries, declaring the 21st century as the “Asian century” of India and ASEAN. Speaking at the India-ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos, PM Modi highlighted that the ‘Act East’ policy, implemented over the last decade, has infused new energy and momentum into these historic ties.
“We are neighbors, fellow members of the Global South, and the fastest-growing region in the world. We are peace-loving nations, committed to respecting each other’s sovereignty and working towards a bright future for our youth,” said PM Modi in his opening remarks.
During the summit, the Prime Minister announced a 10-point plan to enhance connectivity and resilience, aligned with Laos’ theme as the ASEAN Chair for 2024. The plan marks the celebration of a decade since the launch of India’s ‘Act East’ policy, which has bolstered India-ASEAN relations.
Key Points of the Plan:
- Connectivity and Resilience: PM Modi’s plan aims to enhance physical, digital, cultural, and spiritual connectivity, while bolstering resilience in areas such as cybersecurity, health, disaster management, and climate.
- Tourism and Cultural Exchanges: He proposed declaring 2025 as the ‘ASEAN-India Year of Tourism,’ with India committing USD 5 million for joint activities.
- People-Centric Initiatives: Celebrating the 10-year milestone of the ‘Act East’ policy through activities such as a youth summit, hackathon, startup festival, and ASEAN-India Women Scientists Conclave.
- Scholarships and Education: Doubling the number of scholarships at Nalanda University and introducing new scholarships for ASEAN students at Indian agricultural universities.
- Trade Enhancement: The review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement by 2025.
- Disaster and Health Resilience: India will allocate USD 5 million to enhance disaster resilience and establish a Health Ministers’ track for improving health resilience.
- Cyber Policy Dialogue: A regular ASEAN-India Cyber Policy Dialogue to strengthen digital and cyber resilience.
- Green Hydrogen: Organizing workshops on green hydrogen to advance sustainability efforts.
- Climate Resilience: Inviting ASEAN leaders to join India’s ‘Plant a Tree for Mother’ campaign, promoting climate resilience.
- Indo-Pacific Vision: Strengthening collaboration through the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, complementing ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific Outlook.
Highlighting the achievements under the ‘Act East’ policy, PM Modi noted that India’s trade with ASEAN nations has doubled to over USD 130 billion in the last decade. He also emphasized India’s commitment to ASEAN Unity and Centrality, reinforcing India’s support for the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
“Our collaboration now spans from underwater to space, and our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a reflection of our growing engagement,” said PM Modi, who also highlighted India’s leadership in technology-driven initiatives, including fintech connectivity with Singapore and the broader region.
In a joint statement, ASEAN and India reiterated their commitment to fostering peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. The leaders also adopted the ‘ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Advancing Digital Transformation,’ which seeks to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusive development.