ASEAN integral part of India's Act East Policy: Modi

During the ASEAN summit in Thai capital Bangkok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the Indo-Pacific outlook between New Delhi and the ASEAN pointing out that New Delhi's Act East Policy is a key part of the Indo-Pacific vision. The premier also proposed increasing cooperation in the fields of agriculture, ICT, science, research, and engineering.

Bangkok: Terming the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region as an integral part of India's Act East Policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that New Delhi is keen to strengthen partnership in the fields of maritime security, blue economy, humanitarian aid and proposed $1 billion Line of Credit (LoC) for boosting physical and digital connectivity with the 10-bloc economically rising Southeast Asian region.

Addressing the India-ASEAN Summit, the prime minister said that the Association of South East Asian Nations is an integral part of our Act East Policy and will always remain. An integrated, united and progressive ASEAN is in the interest of India.

The premier also welcomed the Indo-Pacific outlook between New Delhi and the ASEAN and said that India's Act East Policy is a key part of the Indo-Pacific vision.

He also said that New Delhi is keen to increase surface, maritime, air connectivity and digital links with the ASEAN.

"For physical and digital links $1 billion LoC is available. Our intent is to boost innovation, research, tourism, trade and people-to-people links between the two sides," Modi said.

"And to achieve this objective, India is ready to increase its partnership with ASEAN countries," he added.

Modi said that by implementing the decisions taken at the India-ASEAN Commemorative summit and the informal summit in Singapore, has helped bring more depth to the relations.

He also proposed increasing cooperation in the fields of agriculture, ICT, science, research, and engineering and said that the ASEAN-India FTA had helped increase the ties and make the trade more balanced.

ASEAN comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. The grouping is the seventh-largest economy in the world and is expected to become the fourth-largest by 2030.

The ASEAN-India FTA signed in 2009 has trebled trade between the two sides, taking it to $81 billion in 2018. ASEAN members are India's fourth largest trading partner.

The two sides have set a $200 billion trade target by 2022.