Following is the full text of the Vision Statement issued by theleaders attending the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in New Delhi onDecember 20.
We, the Heads of State/Government of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic ofIndia, gathered in New Delhi, India, on 20 December 2012, to commemoratethe 20th Anniversary of the ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations under thetheme of "ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity”;
Acknowledging that the civilisations of ASEAN and India have beenenriched by cross cultural exchanges over several millennia, whereknowledge and ideas, goods and spiritual traditions have movedseamlessly across borders, providing a strong foundation for cooperationin a globalised world;
Satisfied with the rapidgrowth and progress of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations since itsestablishment as a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992;
Recognising the successful conclusion of the first Plan of Action forthe period 2005-2010 and the implementation of the new Plan of Actionfor the period 2010-2015 to implement the ASEAN-India Partnership forPeace, Progress and Shared Prosperity;
AppreciatingIndia’s role in ensuring regional peace and stability through India’saccession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC)in 2003 and India’s active contribution in the ASEAN+1, the ASEANRegional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN DefenceMinisters’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus;
Recognising ASEAN’scentrality and its role as the driving force of both economic andsecurity structures and institutions currently emerging in the region,which allow for a stable and peaceful regional environment that isessential to the pursuit of sustainable development;
Inspired by the progress made in realising the ASEAN-India Trade inGoods Agreement, consolidation of the annual ASEAN-India Business Fairand Conclave and reactivation of the ASEAN-India Business Council, whichhas enhanced trade linkages and economic cooperation between ASEAN andIndia, as well as contributed to the economic development of the regionand a robust bilateral trade volume between ASEAN and India, which hassurpassed the USD 70 billion mark as targeted for 2012;
Welcoming India’s consistent support for ASEAN integration, the ASEANCommunity building process and ASEAN-India cooperation throughcontributions via ASEAN-India Fund (AIF), ASEAN-India Green Fund (AIGF),ASEAN-India Science & Technology Development Fund (AISTDF) as alsothrough direct financial assistance to various research and developmentinitiatives;
Committed to working closely togetheron common regional and international issues of mutual concern andsupporting each other’s role at the global level as well as workingtogether to promote and strengthen inclusive and multi-track regionalarrangements, including promoting the goal of open regionalism andenhancing the prospects for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia;
Recognising the emergence of Delhi Dialogue as one of the premierASEAN-centric Track 1.5 platforms for discussions on regional andinternational issues of mutual importance; and
Considering the work of the ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Group (AIEPG)and its Report with recommendations for forging an even closerpartnership for peace, progress and shared prosperity;
Hereby adopt the following:
We declare that the ASEAN-India Partnership stands elevated to a strategic partnership.
Wewill strive towards the full, effective and timely implementation ofthe ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations across the whole spectrum ofpolitical and security, economic, socio-cultural and developmentcooperation, through further strengthening of relevant institutionalmechanisms and broadening of the network between governmentinstitutions, parliamentarians, business circles, scientists,think-tanks, media, youth and other stakeholders, for the building of apeaceful, harmonious, caring and sharing community in our regions. Inthis context, we will continue to support and encourage activeparticipation of relevant stakeholders in the Delhi Dialogue.
We will continue to exert efforts and cooperate to effectivelyimplement the Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN-India Partnershipfor Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity (2010-2015).
India will support and cooperate closely with ASEAN to realise theASEAN Community in 2015, comprising three pillars, namely, the ASEANPolitical Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEANSocio-Cultural Community. To further strengthen this cooperation, weagree to establish an ASEAN-India Centre using existing capacities.
Political and Security Cooperation
We share the vision of a peaceful, prosperous and resurgent Asia,which contributes to and promotes global peace and security.
We are committed to enhancing mutual understanding and friendshipthrough close high-level contacts and exchanges and will continue tostrengthen regular bilateral and multilateral dialogue and consultationat different levels on various regional and international issues ofcommon interest.
We will make use of existingASEAN-led regional processes, such as the ASEAN Defence MinistersMeeting (ADMM) Plus to promote defence and military exchanges andcooperation, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to foster constructivedialogue and consultation on political and security issues.
We are committed to fostering greater security cooperation andinformation sharing in the form of regular and high-level securitydialogues to further address traditional and non-traditional securitychallenges, including transnational crimes, and strengthening theeffective implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Declaration forCooperation to Combat International Terrorism.
Weare committed to strengthening cooperation to ensure maritime securityand freedom of navigation, and safety of sea lanes of communication forunfettered movement of trade in accordance with international law,including UNCLOS.
We agree to promote maritimecooperation, including through engagement in the ASEAN Maritime Forum(AMF) and its expanded format, to address common challenges on maritimeissues, including sea piracy, search and rescue at sea, maritimeenvironment, maritime security, maritime connectivity, freedom ofnavigation, fisheries, and other areas of cooperation.
Economic Cooperation
In the context of economic globalisation and regional integration, weare committed to our efforts in advancing economic cooperation andengaging the emerging regional economic architecture, includingorganising multi-sectoral strategic economic dialogues.
We are committed to reaching greater trade volume through our FTA andrealising our trade and economic potential under our strategicpartnership by expanding trade facilitation initiatives. We are,therefore, committed to achieving a target of USD 100 billion forASEAN-India trade by 2015, and also expect tariff-free lines to increasebeyond the existing level in subsequent years.
Weare committed to realising the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (FTA) with acombined market of almost 1.8 billion people and a combined GDP of USD3.8 trillion. In this regard, we welcome the successful conclusion ofthe negotiation on ASEAN-India Trade in Services and InvestmentAgreements. The signing of these Agreements will facilitate furthereconomic integration between ASEAN and India, and also contribute to theoverall East Asian economic integration.
We arecommitted to promoting private sector engagement and encouragingbusiness-to-business relations, including through establishing anecessary framework to strengthen private sector engagement andpublic-private partnership (PPP) linkages. Recognising the importantrole of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in the region, we are alsocommitted to encouraging collaboration in the SME sector.
We recognise the need to ensure long-term food security and energysecurity in our region, and the use of appropriate technologies for thisend, and in this regard, we welcome the efforts to strengthencooperation in the agriculture sector, and cooperation among centres ofenergy in ASEAN and India.
We encourage furthercooperation between ASEAN and India in support of sub-regionaldevelopments including within the frameworks of Mekong-Ganga Cooperation(MGC), Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical andEconomic Cooperation (BIMSTEC),Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area(BIMP-EAGA), Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA),Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), Greater MekongSub-Region (GMS) and the ASEAN Mekong Basin Development Cooperation(AMBDC), and other areas.
Socio-Cultural and Development Cooperation
We will strengthen socio-cultural cooperation and promote greaterpeople-to-people interaction through increasing exchanges in culture,education, youth, sports, creative industries, science and technology,information and communication technology and software, human resourcedevelopment and scholarly exchanges. We will also enhance contactsbetween parliamentarians, media personnel, academics and Track IIinstitutions such as the network of think tanks.
Weencourage the study, documentation and dissemination of knowledge aboutthe civilisational links between ASEAN and India.
Wewill intensify efforts to preserve, protect and restore symbols andstructures representing civilisational bonds between ASEAN and India,including Angkor Wat in the Kingdom of Cambodia, Borobudur and Prambanantemples in the Republic of Indonesia, Wat Phu in the Lao People’sDemocratic Republic, Bagan in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar,Sukhothai Historical Park in the Kingdom of Thailand, and My Son in theSocialist Republic of Viet Nam.
We are committed toworking together to overcome challenges such as climate change, energysecurity, rapid urbanisation, natural disasters, food security, drugabuse, through both regional cooperation and participation in relevantglobal initiatives.
We are committed to enhancingcooperation in bridging the development gaps among ASEAN Member States,inter alia, through support for the effective implementation of the IAIWork Plan II (2009-2015) and the Phnom Penh Agenda for ASEAN CommunityBuilding, including enhancing capacity building, strengthening humanresources development and encouraging involvement of private sector andacademic institutions to contribute to the ASEAN integration and therealisation of the ASEAN Community by 2015.
Weappreciate India’s commitment to continue the special focus on the CLMVcountries that represent a bridge between ASEAN and India byintensifying focus on human resource development and capacity buildinge-initiatives, particularly in the fields of information technology,science and technology, English language training, among others. Wesupport India’s call to synergise efforts under the Mekong-GangaCooperation from the USD 1 million annual India-CLMV Fund.
Connectivity
We are committed to enhancing ASEAN Connectivity through supportingthe implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and theASEAN ICT Master Plan 2015. In this regard, we encourage the ASEANConnectivity Coordinating Committee to work closely with India’sInter-Ministerial Group on ASEAN Transport Connectivity to enhance air,sea and land connectivity within ASEAN and between ASEAN and India,through ASEAN-India connectivity projects. We are also determined tocooperate and make the best use of all available resources, includingfinancial and technical assistance, investment and public-privatepartnership to achieve physical, institutional and people-to-peopleconnectivity within ASEAN and with India.
We arecommitted to assisting in the completion of the India-Myanmar-ThailandTrilateral Highway and its extension to Lao PDR and Cambodia and the newhighway project connecting India-Myanmar-Lao PDR-Viet Nam-Cambodia aswell as developing the Mekong-India Economic Corridor (MIEC) connectingSoutheast Asia to South Asia on the eastern part of India in order toadd greater momentum to the growing trade and investment linkagesbetween ASEAN and India.
Regional Architecture
We are committed to a stable and peaceful regional environment for thepursuit of sustainable development in the region. India reaffirms itscontinued support for ASEAN’s centrality in the evolving regionalarchitecture, including the EAS, ARF, ADMM Plus, and other regionalprocesses.
We call for the formulation of specificinitiatives to achieve the objectives of this Vision Statement, whichwould be funded through the AIF, AIGF, and AISTDF.-VNA
We, the Heads of State/Government of theAssociation of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Republic ofIndia, gathered in New Delhi, India, on 20 December 2012, to commemoratethe 20th Anniversary of the ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations under thetheme of "ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity”;
Acknowledging that the civilisations of ASEAN and India have beenenriched by cross cultural exchanges over several millennia, whereknowledge and ideas, goods and spiritual traditions have movedseamlessly across borders, providing a strong foundation for cooperationin a globalised world;
Satisfied with the rapidgrowth and progress of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations since itsestablishment as a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992;
Recognising the successful conclusion of the first Plan of Action forthe period 2005-2010 and the implementation of the new Plan of Actionfor the period 2010-2015 to implement the ASEAN-India Partnership forPeace, Progress and Shared Prosperity;
AppreciatingIndia’s role in ensuring regional peace and stability through India’saccession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC)in 2003 and India’s active contribution in the ASEAN+1, the ASEANRegional Forum (ARF), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the ASEAN DefenceMinisters’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus;
Recognising ASEAN’scentrality and its role as the driving force of both economic andsecurity structures and institutions currently emerging in the region,which allow for a stable and peaceful regional environment that isessential to the pursuit of sustainable development;
Inspired by the progress made in realising the ASEAN-India Trade inGoods Agreement, consolidation of the annual ASEAN-India Business Fairand Conclave and reactivation of the ASEAN-India Business Council, whichhas enhanced trade linkages and economic cooperation between ASEAN andIndia, as well as contributed to the economic development of the regionand a robust bilateral trade volume between ASEAN and India, which hassurpassed the USD 70 billion mark as targeted for 2012;
Welcoming India’s consistent support for ASEAN integration, the ASEANCommunity building process and ASEAN-India cooperation throughcontributions via ASEAN-India Fund (AIF), ASEAN-India Green Fund (AIGF),ASEAN-India Science & Technology Development Fund (AISTDF) as alsothrough direct financial assistance to various research and developmentinitiatives;
Committed to working closely togetheron common regional and international issues of mutual concern andsupporting each other’s role at the global level as well as workingtogether to promote and strengthen inclusive and multi-track regionalarrangements, including promoting the goal of open regionalism andenhancing the prospects for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia;
Recognising the emergence of Delhi Dialogue as one of the premierASEAN-centric Track 1.5 platforms for discussions on regional andinternational issues of mutual importance; and
Considering the work of the ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Group (AIEPG)and its Report with recommendations for forging an even closerpartnership for peace, progress and shared prosperity;
Hereby adopt the following:
We declare that the ASEAN-India Partnership stands elevated to a strategic partnership.
Wewill strive towards the full, effective and timely implementation ofthe ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations across the whole spectrum ofpolitical and security, economic, socio-cultural and developmentcooperation, through further strengthening of relevant institutionalmechanisms and broadening of the network between governmentinstitutions, parliamentarians, business circles, scientists,think-tanks, media, youth and other stakeholders, for the building of apeaceful, harmonious, caring and sharing community in our regions. Inthis context, we will continue to support and encourage activeparticipation of relevant stakeholders in the Delhi Dialogue.
We will continue to exert efforts and cooperate to effectivelyimplement the Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN-India Partnershipfor Peace, Progress and Shared Prosperity (2010-2015).
India will support and cooperate closely with ASEAN to realise theASEAN Community in 2015, comprising three pillars, namely, the ASEANPolitical Security Community, the ASEAN Economic Community and the ASEANSocio-Cultural Community. To further strengthen this cooperation, weagree to establish an ASEAN-India Centre using existing capacities.
Political and Security Cooperation
We share the vision of a peaceful, prosperous and resurgent Asia,which contributes to and promotes global peace and security.
We are committed to enhancing mutual understanding and friendshipthrough close high-level contacts and exchanges and will continue tostrengthen regular bilateral and multilateral dialogue and consultationat different levels on various regional and international issues ofcommon interest.
We will make use of existingASEAN-led regional processes, such as the ASEAN Defence MinistersMeeting (ADMM) Plus to promote defence and military exchanges andcooperation, and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) to foster constructivedialogue and consultation on political and security issues.
We are committed to fostering greater security cooperation andinformation sharing in the form of regular and high-level securitydialogues to further address traditional and non-traditional securitychallenges, including transnational crimes, and strengthening theeffective implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Declaration forCooperation to Combat International Terrorism.
Weare committed to strengthening cooperation to ensure maritime securityand freedom of navigation, and safety of sea lanes of communication forunfettered movement of trade in accordance with international law,including UNCLOS.
We agree to promote maritimecooperation, including through engagement in the ASEAN Maritime Forum(AMF) and its expanded format, to address common challenges on maritimeissues, including sea piracy, search and rescue at sea, maritimeenvironment, maritime security, maritime connectivity, freedom ofnavigation, fisheries, and other areas of cooperation.
Economic Cooperation
In the context of economic globalisation and regional integration, weare committed to our efforts in advancing economic cooperation andengaging the emerging regional economic architecture, includingorganising multi-sectoral strategic economic dialogues.
We are committed to reaching greater trade volume through our FTA andrealising our trade and economic potential under our strategicpartnership by expanding trade facilitation initiatives. We are,therefore, committed to achieving a target of USD 100 billion forASEAN-India trade by 2015, and also expect tariff-free lines to increasebeyond the existing level in subsequent years.
Weare committed to realising the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (FTA) with acombined market of almost 1.8 billion people and a combined GDP of USD3.8 trillion. In this regard, we welcome the successful conclusion ofthe negotiation on ASEAN-India Trade in Services and InvestmentAgreements. The signing of these Agreements will facilitate furthereconomic integration between ASEAN and India, and also contribute to theoverall East Asian economic integration.
We arecommitted to promoting private sector engagement and encouragingbusiness-to-business relations, including through establishing anecessary framework to strengthen private sector engagement andpublic-private partnership (PPP) linkages. Recognising the importantrole of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) in the region, we are alsocommitted to encouraging collaboration in the SME sector.
We recognise the need to ensure long-term food security and energysecurity in our region, and the use of appropriate technologies for thisend, and in this regard, we welcome the efforts to strengthencooperation in the agriculture sector, and cooperation among centres ofenergy in ASEAN and India.
We encourage furthercooperation between ASEAN and India in support of sub-regionaldevelopments including within the frameworks of Mekong-Ganga Cooperation(MGC), Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical andEconomic Cooperation (BIMSTEC),Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area(BIMP-EAGA), Cambodia-Laos-Viet Nam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA),Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), Greater MekongSub-Region (GMS) and the ASEAN Mekong Basin Development Cooperation(AMBDC), and other areas.
Socio-Cultural and Development Cooperation
We will strengthen socio-cultural cooperation and promote greaterpeople-to-people interaction through increasing exchanges in culture,education, youth, sports, creative industries, science and technology,information and communication technology and software, human resourcedevelopment and scholarly exchanges. We will also enhance contactsbetween parliamentarians, media personnel, academics and Track IIinstitutions such as the network of think tanks.
Weencourage the study, documentation and dissemination of knowledge aboutthe civilisational links between ASEAN and India.
Wewill intensify efforts to preserve, protect and restore symbols andstructures representing civilisational bonds between ASEAN and India,including Angkor Wat in the Kingdom of Cambodia, Borobudur and Prambanantemples in the Republic of Indonesia, Wat Phu in the Lao People’sDemocratic Republic, Bagan in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar,Sukhothai Historical Park in the Kingdom of Thailand, and My Son in theSocialist Republic of Viet Nam.
We are committed toworking together to overcome challenges such as climate change, energysecurity, rapid urbanisation, natural disasters, food security, drugabuse, through both regional cooperation and participation in relevantglobal initiatives.
We are committed to enhancingcooperation in bridging the development gaps among ASEAN Member States,inter alia, through support for the effective implementation of the IAIWork Plan II (2009-2015) and the Phnom Penh Agenda for ASEAN CommunityBuilding, including enhancing capacity building, strengthening humanresources development and encouraging involvement of private sector andacademic institutions to contribute to the ASEAN integration and therealisation of the ASEAN Community by 2015.
Weappreciate India’s commitment to continue the special focus on the CLMVcountries that represent a bridge between ASEAN and India byintensifying focus on human resource development and capacity buildinge-initiatives, particularly in the fields of information technology,science and technology, English language training, among others. Wesupport India’s call to synergise efforts under the Mekong-GangaCooperation from the USD 1 million annual India-CLMV Fund.
Connectivity
We are committed to enhancing ASEAN Connectivity through supportingthe implementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and theASEAN ICT Master Plan 2015. In this regard, we encourage the ASEANConnectivity Coordinating Committee to work closely with India’sInter-Ministerial Group on ASEAN Transport Connectivity to enhance air,sea and land connectivity within ASEAN and between ASEAN and India,through ASEAN-India connectivity projects. We are also determined tocooperate and make the best use of all available resources, includingfinancial and technical assistance, investment and public-privatepartnership to achieve physical, institutional and people-to-peopleconnectivity within ASEAN and with India.
We arecommitted to assisting in the completion of the India-Myanmar-ThailandTrilateral Highway and its extension to Lao PDR and Cambodia and the newhighway project connecting India-Myanmar-Lao PDR-Viet Nam-Cambodia aswell as developing the Mekong-India Economic Corridor (MIEC) connectingSoutheast Asia to South Asia on the eastern part of India in order toadd greater momentum to the growing trade and investment linkagesbetween ASEAN and India.
Regional Architecture
We are committed to a stable and peaceful regional environment for thepursuit of sustainable development in the region. India reaffirms itscontinued support for ASEAN’s centrality in the evolving regionalarchitecture, including the EAS, ARF, ADMM Plus, and other regionalprocesses.
We call for the formulation of specificinitiatives to achieve the objectives of this Vision Statement, whichwould be funded through the AIF, AIGF, and AISTDF.-VNA
