ACTING EAST

ACTING EAST

• The India-ASEAN Strategic Partnership acquired a new momentum with the announcement of “Act-East Policy” at the 12th Summit in 2014. It conveyed a clear intent on the part of India to up-scaling its engagement with the ASEAN Member States. The Act-East Policy emphasizes Connectivity, Commerce and Culture as the focus areas of action for a greater ASEAN-India integration. It takes into account the blueprints of the three pillars of ASEAN community building process, the ASEAN vision document ASEAN 2025-Forging Ahead Together, the ASEAN Master Plan for Connectivity 2025,the ASEAN ICTMaster Plan 2020 and the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan III.

• India’s ‘Act East Policy’ along with our vision of “SAGAR” i.e. Security and Growth for All in the Region – coincides with President Widodo’s Maritime Fulcrum Policy. We had prepared a roadmapduring the visit of President Widodo to India In December 2016. In our discussions we have assessed the progress made on its implementation. Agreements made between us today will help us to further improve our bilateral relations. We have decided to upgrade our partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We will double our efforts to take our bilateral trade to the level of $ 50 billion by 2025. And I also congratulate the positive contribution of our CEO Forum to help in these efforts.
• India-ASEAN partnership is such a force for peace and shared progress in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.We value the positive role of Indonesia in the ASEAN. The efforts of this association for comprehensive regional cooperation and integration is also an example and an inspiration. strong support of Indonesia in developing India’s strategic partnership in ASEAN.
• Connectivity is a very important component of our engagement not just with Indonesia and Singapore but with all of the ASEAN countries and you would recall that in 2015 our Prime Minister in fact offered lines of credit to the ASEAN countries for not just physical connectivity but digital and people to people connectivity as well.So connectivity takes on a much bigger dimension but of course physical connectivity is a very important one including connectivity by land, by air and by sea. We are in fact in discussions with the ASEAN on all of these to have frameworks in position which will facilitate greater connectivity of India with the ASEAN countries.
• You know that the North East of India is an important land bridge to the ASEAN region and then we of course have the maritime neighborhood. Specifically Indonesia being the closest maritime neighbor from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to Sabang is 90 nautical miles, so that’s how close it is and am told that on a clear day from an extreme edge we could actually see the lights of Singapore and the western most parts of Indonesian islands as well.
•  We are very strong maritime neighbors and strategic partners. Since 2005 we have had a strategic partnership with Indonesia and the country plays a very vital role in advancing India’s Act East Policy and in deepening our relations with ASEAN being the largest economy and the largest country in the ASEAN. We are in fact natural partners in the Indo-Pacific region.Indonesia is a maritime neighbor in fact our closest maritime neighbor and a key economic partner for India in ASEAN. It is also our largest trading partner in ASEAN. We import large quantities of crude palm oil and also coal from Indonesia. In turn we export a lot of agricultural products including bovine meat and there is potential for other ……………. Within a decade four times so today it’s about $18 billion.

POSSIBLE ROLE OF CENERS-K IN PROMOTING INDIA’S ACT EAST POLICY

Our Act East policy can have myriad aspects. CENERS-K could concentrate its efforts in the following aspects:

1. Military-strategic cooperation, including in wider Indo-Pacific theatre
2. Disaster management and assistance logistics
3. Analysis of multi-modal physical and cyber connectivity
4. Promotion of commerce in related areas
5. Think Tank linkages and dialogue partnerships—CSCAP, Shangri-La etc
6. North-East – ASEAN relationships: Promotion of mutual awareness of capability and potential
7. Coordinate with business and educational institutions to promote research & identify opportunities
8. RTP, Right to Navigation & similar international legal issues
9. Disseminate data to create awareness of ASEAN linkage opportunities in the East and North-East

• Indian companies have made significant investments in Indonesia and according to a study cumulative Indian investments in Indonesia is over $15 billion and about 2,50,000 jobs are created by Indian companies in Indonesia. The Indian investments are in the sectors of infrastructure, power, textiles, steel, automobiles, mining, banking and consumer goods.
• Singapore may be a small island, but its horizons are global. This great nation has shown us that size is no barrier to the scale of achievements or the strength of a nation’s voice in the world. It is a relationship that truly meets the test of strategic partnership.
• When India opened up to the world and turned to the East, Singapore became a partner and a bridge between India and ASEAN. Political relations between India and Singapore are among the warmest and closest. There are no contests or claims, or doubts.
• It is a natural partnership from a shared vision. Our defence relations are among the strongest, for both. My Armed Forces speak with great respect and admiration for Singapore’s Armed Forces. India’s longest continuous naval exercise is with Singapore. In international forums, we speak in one voice in the cause of a rules-based order, sovereign equality of all nations, and free and open pathways of commerce and engagement. Economics is the heart-beat of the relationship.
• It is a partnership at the front-line of India’s global engagement. Singapore is both a leading investment source and destination for India. Singapore was the first country with which we signed a Comprehnsive Economic Cooperation Agreement.