As a part of the celebration of two decade India-Asean relations, the dialogue aimed to seek ways to increase engagements between the two parties and explore the agenda for consolidation of relationship in the coming years.
India's Minister of External Affairs S.M. Krishna hosted the dialogue with his colleagues from Asean including Cambodian foreign minister Hor Namhong who is currently chair the Asean and Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul.
The dialogue, held February 13-14 at a New Delhi hotel, was also participated by private sectors, officials and academics. They discussed economic integration, non-security challenges, traditional security architecture in the Asia-Pacific and building network of knowledge and science.
Krishna told journalists from Asean that Asean is an important part for India's look east policy and the relation with the 10 member regional grouping has gone well so far. India has participated in many Asean's features to forge the ties including Asean Regional Forum and East Asia Summit, he said.
In the context of commemoration of two decade relation, India and Asean would have many activities the whole this year including a car rally across the region in December, he said.
Krishna also launched a book "Two decades of India's Look East Policy" after an inaugural session on Monday to reaffirm India's foreign policy toward countries in its East, notably in Southeast Asia.
"Our 'Look East Policy' has been a function of the interconnectedness that India has experienced over the centuries with Asean countries, our common developmental and strategic interests, and the processes of transformation and integration in our region," he said.
With the look east policy, India tried to make Eastern neighbors Burma and Thailand as a major gate to the rest of the region.
Thai Foreign Minister Surapong proposed to set up a joint working group to push forward regional connectivity efforts. Such working group would explore ways and means to support the Asean master plan and come up with new initiative to further deepen regional integration within the group and with India, he said.
Surapong said the Asean and India are speeding up to complete Thailand-Burma-India road link as well as explore an extension eastward to Laos and Cambodia.
The development of Mekong-India Economic Corridor could further enhance regional connectivity as it would create another trading route as a short cut connecting Southeast Asia to India on its eastern coast via Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Dawei of Burma and India's Chennai, he said.
Indian minister Krishna agreed as he told Asean journalists that India is upgrading its road to connect with Burma while Thailand is also doing its part.
Cambodia's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Hor Namhong proposed that leaders of Asean and India when they have summit meeting late this year should consider turning the Asean-India dialogue relations to a strategic partnership.
To promote trade, investment, tourism and support people-to-people change, both sides should consider an establishment of Asean-India Center, a similar body as China, Japan and South Korea have, he said.
Malaysia's deputy foreign minister Kohilan Pillay said Asean and India should have a consultative on global development as there is a number of global issues would affect the region. As Malaysia proposed after 1997 Asian financial crisis on the reform of world financial system, India and Asean these days should persuade such initiative as global economic difficulty is about to come, he said.
Burma's deputy foreign minister Myo Myint said his country received support from India and members of Asean on political and economic reform. He urged India to support Asean connectivity plan to materialize physical links between Asean and India via his country.
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