New Delhi: India on Tuesday assured its ASEAN partners support to recover economy in the post-pandemic period.
Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, while addressing the meeting underscored the importance India attached to its economic partnership with ASEAN and the strong historical and cultural ties between the partners.
The 18th ASEAN-India Economic Ministers Consultations were held virtually on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by the Economic Ministers of all the 10 ASEAN countries Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The ministers took stock of the current pandemic situation and reaffirmed their commitment to take collective actions in mitigating the economic impact of the pandemic and ensuring resilient supply chains in the region.
The ministers also appreciated the deepening trade and investment between ASEAN and India and the trade partners’ mutual support in combating the pandemic. The ministers also took note of the recommendations of the ASEAN India Business Council to enhance the ASEAN India economic partnership.
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Patel briefed the meeting on India’s current focus on mass vaccination, capacity enhancements and the economic initiatives to address the pandemic challenges. She highlighted the widespread reforms undertaken by India in various sectors including agriculture, banking, insurance, logistics, corporate laws, investment regime etc.
The meeting actively discussed the early commencement of the ASEAN India Trade in Goods Agreement.
Patel also invited ASEAN countries to invest in India in potential sectors, including the health and pharmaceutical sectors.
