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ASEAN-India Strengthen Cooperation: PM Modi's Vision and Indonesia's Strategic Role

  Editorial INTI     1 bulan yang lalu
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Jakarta, INTI - In a significant international event, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto attended the 21st ASEAN-India Summit at the National Convention Center in Vientiane, Laos, on Thursday (10/10). This meeting was part of the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits, which marked the peak of Laos' Chairmanship in ASEAN 2024.

The summit was led by the Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone, and was the 11th such meeting for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi, who was re-elected in June 2024 for his third term, reaffirmed India's commitment to ASEAN as a comprehensive strategic partner. Since 2022, ASEAN and India have strengthened their partnership, particularly in the economic sector. Over the past decade, ASEAN-India trade has doubled, reaching over USD 100 billion in 2023.

In terms of human resource development, India has provided more than 300 scholarships for ASEAN students. Additionally, India committed USD 30 million for education and research funding, with a focus on the green economy. Indonesia, represented by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Hadi Tjahjanto on behalf of Vice President Ma’ruf Amin, highlighted three key areas for collaboration.

The first area is maritime cooperation. Indonesia emphasized the need for concrete actions to implement the Joint Statement on Maritime Cooperation, focusing on connectivity and the blue economy. The second is food security, which aligns with the ASEAN-India Joint Leaders' Statement on Strengthening Food Security and Nutrition in Response to Crises. The third area is reinforcing collaboration under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).

"Indonesia appreciates efforts to create an inclusive Indo-Pacific region, including through the signing of the ASEAN-IORA Memorandum of Understanding and India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, which aligns with the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP)," stated Coordinating Minister Tjahjanto.

Indonesia also acknowledged India's role as the first development partner of the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT), supporting the region's development towards achieving the IMT-GT Vision 2036.

In response to the ASEAN countries' perspectives, PM Modi proposed ten initiatives and commitments from India to further strengthen the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership, which include:

  1. Celebrating the ASEAN-India Tourism Year 2025, with India pledging USD 5 million;
  2. Hosting various cultural, youth, and start-up-related performances;
  3. Annual activities under the ASEAN-India Technology Fund;
  4. Doubling the number of Master’s degree scholarships at Narendra University and developing a special scheme for agricultural campuses;
  5. Accelerating the ASEAN-India upgrading by 2025;
  6. Cooperation in disaster resilience, with India providing USD 5 million;
  7. Establishing a Ministerial Meeting on Health to support health security;
  8. Cooperation on digital and cyber resilience;
  9. Green economy cooperation through workshops;
  10. Climate resilience cooperation via a tree-planting campaign.

During a separate session, Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto announced India's interest in investing in Indonesia’s pharmaceutical and health sectors. A concrete form of this investment is a project to build a hospital in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ), involving a partnership between an Indonesian hospital group and India’s Apollo Hospital Group.

In terms of economic relations, ASEAN-India cooperation plays a crucial role in maintaining stability and growth in Asia. ASEAN is currently the world's fifth-largest economy, while India is a rapidly growing economy with a growth rate exceeding that of China.

In 2023, ASEAN-India trade reached USD 100.72 billion, accounting for 2.9% of ASEAN’s total trade. Indian investment in ASEAN amounted to USD 5.6 billion, representing 2.5% of total FDI in the region.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of two documents, one of which is the ASEAN-India Joint Leaders’ Statement on Advancing Digital Transformation. The leaders also noted the progress in the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) review, which is expected to be substantially completed by 2025. They also agreed to implement the ASEAN-India Tourism Year in 2025.

Apart from Coordinating Minister Airlangga, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi was also part of the Indonesian delegation.

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