AIR Spotlight: ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit - Testbook

The insightful program, AIR Spotlight, featured on All India Radio Newsonair offers valuable insights on significant issues. It can be a valuable resource for those preparing for the IAS exam . Today, we delve into the ASEAN-India Summit and East Asia Summit.

The discussion is led by Anil Wadhwa, a former ambassador, and Arjun J Chaudhuri, an AIR Correspondent.

Overview : The 19th ASEAN-India Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia was led by Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar and included the External Affairs Minister, Dr S. Jaishankar.

Key Points :

• The Summit, under the theme A.C.T (Addressing, Challenging, Together), aimed to address regional issues and promote prosperity, growth, and stability among the states.
• Cambodia's significant role in India-ASEAN engagements was highlighted. The first India-ASEAN Summit took place in 2002 during Cambodia's first chairship.
• The Vice President emphasized the enduring cultural, economic, and civilizational ties between India and South East Asia.
• The Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) is central to India’s Act East policy and Indo-Pacific outreach. The Indian Prime Minister at the Shangri La Dialogue highlighted that ASEAN will remain at the core of India’s policy outreach in the region.

The Importance of the 19th ASEAN-India Summit :

• The 19th ASEAN-India Summit marked the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-India dialogue relations, and 2022 has been declared as the ASEAN-India Friendship year.
• ASEAN and India adopted a joint statement announcing the elevation of the existing Strategic Partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
• The Joint Statement also reiterated the commitment to enhance India-ASEAN cooperation in various areas, including maritime activities, counter-terrorism, transnational crimes, and more.
• The Joint Statement also proposes expediting the review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to make it more user-friendly, simple, and trade-facilitative.

East Asia Summit and Its Role in ASEAN-India Relationship :

• The East Asia Summit is a significant platform in the Indo-Pacific and has contributed to the strategic and geopolitical evolution of East Asia since its inception in 2005.
• India, as a founding member of the East Asia Summit, is committed to strengthening the Summit and making it more effective for dealing with contemporary challenges.
• The Summit also serves as a platform for furthering practical cooperation in the Indo-Pacific by building upon the convergence between ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and Indo-Pacific Ocean’s Initiative (IPOI).

Focus on Maritime Security :

• Maritime security is a crucial aspect of national security for India and ASEAN countries, especially with the advancement in technology.
• The 19th ASEAN-India Summit recognized the importance of “unimpeded lawful maritime commerce” and agreed to intensify maritime cooperation in various areas.
• The joint statement issued at the 19th summit noted that both the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) share relevant fundamental principles in promoting peace and cooperation.

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