New Delhi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has urged the ASEAN nations and the International Community to support India’s fight against terrorists and terrorist organisations. Delivering the Valedictory Address at the 4th India-ASEAN Expo & Summit here today, he said an environment of peace and security are prerequisites for trade and commerce to flourish.
Rajnath Singh urges ASEAN countries to support India’s fight against terrorism “This Summit must acknowledge the fact and ensure that the soil of any country should not be used for propagating terrorism,” he said.Condemning the gruesome cowardly terrorist attack in Pulwama on 14th February on India’s brave security forces, Rajnath Singh said that there exists immense potential to strengthen and deepen cooperation in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations violent extremism and radicalization through Information sharing, Law enforcement cooperation and capacity building and Anti-money laundering and countering terror-financing.Speaking on the trade potential between India and the ASEAN, Rajnath Singh said that more than half of India’s foreign trade now goes to the East. Home Minister called for increased people-to-people contact, connectivity and trade ties with the ASEAN nations.“Strengthening India’s economic relations with the countries in the East is one of the main objectives of India’s ‘Act East Policy’,” said Rajnath Singh. “Our engagement with ASEAN has acquired a new dimension with our Prime Minister’s vision to ‘Act East’,” he added.Rajnath Singh underlined that trade and investment is a key aspect of India-ASEAN partnership. “Over the past decade, trade and investment relations between India and ASEAN have continued to improve. ASEAN has emerged as the second largest trade partner of India in 2017-18, with a share of 10.58% in India’s overall trade.”“Exploring opportunities through connectivity projects will help India to remove physical impediments to trade with ASEAN countries and further integrate the two regions for better economic and security relations,” said Rajnath Singh.“While we have made some progress in implementing the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway, the possible extension of the Trilateral Highway to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, needs to be pushed. ASEAN and India are also working on the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project which will provide an alternative route through Myanmar for the transportation of goods to the northeast region of India,” he added.
Also read:Iraq trying to stop IS fighters crossing border
