- The Fourth ASEAN-India Summit was held successfully on 13 December 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Meeting was chaired by the Honourable Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia. It was attended by the Heads of Government/State of ASEAN Member Countries and H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of the Republic of India.
- We expressed satisfaction with the overall progress of ASEAN-India dialogue relations since the upgrading of the dialogue relations to the Summit level in 2002 and discussed ways to further enhanced the partnership. In this regard, we acknowledged the need for ASEAN and India to strengthen their economic partnership in the face of growing challenges of globalisation, terrorism, rising oil prices and the threat posed by avian influenza and other emerging and communicable diseases.
- We noted the Progress Report of Implementation of the Plan of Action to Implement the ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity signed at the Third ASEAN-India Summit on 30 November 2004 in Vientiane. Progress was made in the areas of cooperation including agriculture, health and pharmaceuticals, science and technology, human resource development, transport and infrastructure, ICT and people-to-people interaction. We expressed appreciation to India for the US$2.5 million replenishment to the ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund. We tasked our Ministers and Senior Officials to accelerate the implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action through concrete activities, programmes and projects.
- We strongly condemned the cowardly and heinous terrorist attacks which struck Bali on 1 October 2005 and New Delhi on 29 October 2005, resulting in the loss of innocent lives. We resolved to work closely to curb the scourge of terrorism. We agreed to develop substantive activities consistent with the ASEAN-India Joint Declaration for Cooperation to Combat International Terrorism adopted at the Second ASEAN-India Summit on 8 October 2003 in Bali, Indonesia.
- We exchanged views on forging closer cooperation on combating other transnational crimes such as illicit drugs trafficking, trafficking in persons, sea piracy, arms smuggling, money-laundering, international economic crime and cyber crime. In this regard, the Leader of India expressed interest to cooperate with the littoral States of the Malacca Straits on maritime security and to intensify cooperation with ASEAN on counter-terrorism, especially sharing of experiences.
- We noted that negotiations to establish the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) have not progressed as expeditiously as originally envisaged despite sincere efforts from both sides. The ASEAN Leaders requested India to positively consider the ASEAN’s position to move the negotiations on the AIFTA forward and take into account of the broader strategic consideration of an enhanced ASEAN-India relations. We agreed to work closely to enhance our trade and investment ties through the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA) and acknowledged that our two economic regions could serve as engines of growth for each other. In this regard, we resolved to expedite and conclude the ongoing negotiations on the AIFTA through a pragmatic and flexible approach.
- We recognised the potential of harnessing areas of knowledge and technology for furthering ASEAN-India cooperation. In this context, the ASEAN Leaders welcomed the proposal by India to hold an ASEAN-India technology summit to provide an interface for Governments, R&D institutions and industries of ASEAN and India. We welcomed greater cooperation in information technology (IT) and biotechnology. In this regard, the ASEAN Leaders welcomed India’s proposal to convene an IT seminar to elaborate on the IT cooperation and agreed that ASEAN would submit proposals for cooperation in biotechnology to India.
- The ASEAN Leaders noted the proposal by India to establish an IT ministerial and industry forum that would provide a platform for pooling of resources, negotiating collaborations and bridging the digital divide for the benefit of our peoples. In this regard, the Indian Leader proposed to establish a joint task force, composed of senior officials and industry representatives, to oversee the activities of this Forum.
- We recognised that human resource development is an area in which we could share relative advantages and strengths with each other. The ASEAN Leaders welcomed India’s proposal to organise an education fair in the coming year to bring together prospective students in ASEAN with Indian universities and colleges. They expressed their appreciation to India for its offer to organise a special training course for diplomats from ASEAN Member Countries. In this regard, they welcomed India’s pledge of an additional US$5 million to the ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund to finance new project proposals.
- We agreed to cooperate on identifying and working on projects dealing with renewable sources of energy such as solar energy, hydroelectric, biotechnology and geothermal energy. We also agreed to enhance ASEAN-India partnership in the area of energy security by enlarging the scope of investments in relevant energy infrastructure and collaboration in new and renewable energy, conservation and alternative fuels.
- In recognising the danger posed by avian influenza, we agreed that information sharing and international cooperation are vital to address this challenge. We supported efforts to develop a generic version of antiviral drug and a regional network of antiviral drug stockpiling. We also look forward to closer cooperation with India in setting up a network of tsunami early warning systems across the Indian Ocean on the real time basis.
- We encouraged India to continue its assistance to ASEAN integration especially to implement the Vientiane Action Programme (VAP). In this regard, we welcomed India’s announcement to contribute US$1 million to the ASEAN Development Fund (ADF).
- We appreciated the assistance provided by India in the context of ASEAN-India development cooperation, especially the capacity building programmes for Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV). We also welcomed the announcement of India to set up permanent Centres for English Language Training (CELT) in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam, which would equip students, civil servants, professional and businessmen with adequate English language proficiency and communication skills imparted in small classrooms equipped with modern teaching aid.
- We expressed appreciation for India’s continued support for the Initiative for ASEAN Integration, in particular India’s offer to establish and maintain a satellite-based network linking India with the 4 CLMV countries for tele-medicine and tele-education applications. In this regard, the ASEAN Leaders welcomed the proposal of India to connect a super specialty hospital in India to one such hospital in each CLMV country that would allow the transmission of tele-laboratory data to the India counterpart hospital and for tele-conferencing and consultation with doctors in the Indian hospital. They also welcomed India’s proposal on tele-education to connect, in the first phase, an institute in India to the proposed CELT, which would allow for courses conducted at the Indian facility to be also offered on a “remote basis” in these CELT.
- We noted, with appreciation, the convening of the ASEAN-India Business Council on 28 May 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. We recognised the importance of private sector linkages between ASEAN and India in deepening our economic relations and encouraged the strengthening of such collaboration.
- We welcomed the convening of the First East Asia Summit (EAS) on 14 December 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. We agreed that ASEAN and India will work closely in the EAS to ensure that the broad strategic forum will further contribute to promoting peace and security, economic prosperity and development in the region. We shared the view that the EAS could play a significant role in this region that will be consistent with ASEAN’s efforts in building the ASEAN Community, and it will form an integral part of the evolving regional architecture.
- ABOUT ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7 January 1984, followed by Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN.Menu - WHAT WE DO
ASEAN organs always strive to achieve ASEAN’s goals and objectives, the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat shall be functioned as coordinating Secretariat to help facilitate effective decision-making withing and amongst ASEAN bodies. In addition, each Member State shall appoint a Permanent Representative to liaise with Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN Secretariat
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ASEAN shall develop friendly relations and mutually beneficial dialogues, cooperation and partnerships with countries and sub-regional, regional and international organisations and institutions. This includes external partners, ASEAN entities, human rights bodies, non-ASEAN Member States Ambassadors to ASEAN, ASEAN committees in third countries and international organisations, as well as international / regional organisations.
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The rodmap for an ASEAN Community (2009-2015) was declared by the leaders in 2009. The ASEAN Community, anchored on three community pillars: Political-Security Community, Economic Community, Socio-Cultural Community was launched in 2015. The ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together was introduced in 2015 as a Post-2015 Vision. It comprises the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the ASEAN Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025
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