JAKARTA, 19 March 2024 – ASEAN and India reaffirmed their commitment to further advancing longstanding relations at the 24th ASEAN-India Joint Cooperation Committee (AIJCC) Meeting held today at the ASEAN Headquarters.
The meeting commended robust progress in the implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement The ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity (2021-2025) and its Annex, and expressed its appreciation to India for the unwavering support in advancing a substantive, meaningful, and mutually beneficial Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
This year, India celebrates a decade of its Act East Policy. Highlighting ASEAN as its central pillar of the policy, India reiterated its full support for ASEAN Centrality, ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), and Lao PDR’s ASEAN Chairmanship’s priorities and deliverables under their theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”.
ASEAN commended India’s continued support for ASEAN Centrality in maintaining peace and stability in the region and in enhancing cooperation through various ASEAN-led mechanisms. The meeting reinforced the importance of the implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity in the Region, the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation, and ASEAN-India Joint Leaders’ Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises.
Further, ASEAN looked forward to exploring potential cooperation with India under ASEAN’s cooperation framework with regional groupings, among other ASEAN-Indian Ocean Rim Association, of which India is the current vice-chair.
The meeting encouraged ASEAN and India to further boost trade and investment, including through the full and effective utilisation of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) and prompt conclusion of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Upgrade Negotiations.
Both sides aim to strengthen regional connectivity, including on digital connectivity and projects related to the extension of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.The meetingalso look forward to commencing the negotiation of the ASEAN-India Air Transport Agreement (AI-ATA) and concurrently finalising the ASEAN-India Maritime Transport Agreement (AI-MTA).
The meeting deliberated on several initiatives to intensify cooperation to further strengthen the partnership, which include collaboration in the fields of maritime cooperation; defence cooperation; cybersecurity; trade; economy; digital transformation; sustainable infrastructure; micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); science, technology, and innovation; energy; blue economy; fintech; tourism; agriculture; people-to-people exchange; public health; culture; connectivity; environment; information and communication technology (ICT); and education.
The meeting encouraged India to support ASEAN centres, such as ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC), ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), and the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre), among others, and looked forward to the establishment of the ASEAN-India Fund for Digital Future, in addition to the existing funds, namely the ASEAN-India Fund, ASEAN-India Green Fund and ASEAN-India Science and Technology Fund.
Permanent Representative of Singapore to ASEAN Gerard Ho and Ambassador of India to ASEAN Jayant N Khobragade co-chaired the meeting. Permanent Representatives to ASEAN or their representatives, and Joint Secretary for Indo-Pacific of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, Paramita Tripathi, were in attendance along with representatives from the ASEAN Secretariat. Ambassador of Timor-Leste to ASEAN attended as an Observer.
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