On July 26, 2024, in Vientiane, Laos, the foreign ministers from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India will meet, marking a significant landmark in their relationship. This gathering highlights the increasing significance of their partnership and emphasizes India’s role in enhancing its connections with ASEAN countries while maintaining ASEAN centrality in the Indo-Pacific region.

The relationship between India and ASEAN is not new. Both regions have interacted for centuries. These relations have been well established and upgraded in the last few decades. The ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership is setting the course for integration in trade, security, and investment and establishing educational and cultural exchanges.

The year 2024 has seen a major transformation in the Indo-Pacific region’s geopolitics. China’s rise in the region and its assertive behavior in the South China Sea have triggered regional tensions, underlining the imperative for a rule-based order. In light of this, the ASEAN centrality cannot be dismissed since it is the primary driver for regional dialogue and cooperation.

India has varied interests in the Indo-Pacific region. In terms of economics, ASEAN is one of India’s most important trading partners, with bilateral trade between the two reaching over $100 billion. Strategically, the organization is an extremely significant area for India’s Act East Policy (AEP), Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), and Security and Growth for all in the Region (SAGAR).

It should be emphasized that in order to enhance its relationship with ASEAN and support ASEAN centrality, India needs to focus on a number of key areas. India must increase trade and investment among the member states of ASEAN. For instance, it can take part in ASEAN digital transformation efforts and other infrastructure projects like the ASEAN-India Connectivity Plan. 

Considering the Indo-Pacific geographical area, collaboration between India and ASEAN members regarding the protection of their sea lanes is needed. Joint naval exercises, sharing intelligence, and initiatives aimed at capacity building can contribute to regional security and stability. 

Building cultural bridges with others and nurturing people-to-people relations create a sound basis for long-term cooperation. This may involve exchange programs in education, tourism drives, or even cultural festivals to enhance communication as well as build goodwill. 

When it comes to climate change, India’s role is crucial since it can actively and fully participate in addressing issues within the region. A shared commitment to sustainability can be built through joint investments in renewable energy sources, natural disaster prevention projects, and environmental preservation activities done together with neighbors.

With the world moving towards the age of new technology, India also has a chance to form alliances with ASEAN countries to help push innovation and digitalization. Programs of joint research and development, technology transfers, and the organization of capacity-building programs can be used to drive economic growth and development. For instance, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will enter into collaborative agreements with the central banks of four ASEAN Countries—Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and Thailand—to enable the retail purposes of cross-border payments.

Maintaining ASEAN Centrality

ASEAN’s centrality is essential in maintaining a balanced and inclusive regional system in the Indo-Pacific. In order to support this principle, India must interact with ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting with Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States (ADMM+). This would enable India to help build regional norms and address common challenges through its participation in those platforms. India should also advocate for an Indo-Pacific region that is multipolar and dominated by no one power. This means facilitating dialogue and cooperation between every stakeholder in the region, including the United States, China, EU, Japan, and Australia. India has pledged to maintain a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, which accords with the ASEAN vision of centrality.

Economic Integration and Connectivity

India should prioritize deepening economic ties that benefit all stakeholders via open discussions. India’s exit from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in 2019 owing to trade imbalances and threats to local industries should guide her in striking a more balanced deal. 

Connectivity plays a crucial role in boosting regional trade and links for further cooperation. India’s involvement in projects such as the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (IMT) and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) will aid this. In addition, India, being part of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), can link South Asia and Southeast Asia, enhancing wider cooperation beyond the economic sphere.

Defense and Security Cooperation

The South China Sea remains a point of conflict for U.S.-China competition, with ramifications for regional safety. ASEAN’s precepts are echoed in India’s position on freedom of navigation and its allegiance to international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). By carrying out joint naval exercises, port visits, and capacity-building programs with ASEAN navies, India can contribute both to maritime security and to a rule-based order.

India’s defense exports, such as BrahMos missiles to the Philippines and possibly other ASEAN countries, show that it has what it takes to support regional defense needs. Expanding defense cooperation agreements and offering technical assistance and training will help strengthen the defense capabilities of these nations in ASEAN, thereby enhancing security within this region.

Soft power and cultural diplomacy

India’s strong basis for soft power diplomacy lies in its historical and cultural relations with South East Asia. Buddhism, Hinduism, and other shared aspects of culture can create deeper people-to-people bonds. Joint efforts like the re-establishment of Nalanda University in India and making ASEAN countries have cultural centers encourage educational exchange and trade.

Additionally, by offering scholarships and academic programs to students from ASEAN, India can instill in them an appreciation of Indian culture and traditions. India is undertaking a number of initiatives to foster closer ties with the ASEAN member countries through the ASEAN-India Youth Summit, ASEAN-India Artists’ Camps, and ASEAN-India Music Festival. Moreover, there is also a significant Indian diaspora in Southeast Asia, which acts as a bridge to link cultural and economic ties between the two regions.

Balancing the Chessboard

The U.S.-China rivalry presents a tightrope walk. India has to deftly handle its relations with both superpowers in line with the neutrality and the regional stability objectives of ASEAN. This is because it stands for an ASEAN where India can gain the confidence and trust of Southeast Asian countries. India’s association with ASEAN is more than a geopolitical move—it is a crucial precondition for peace and prosperity in the region.

Today’s ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers Meeting will provide a useful occasion to reaffirm and expand the partnership between India and ASEAN. As India commemorates a decade of its AEP, it has transformed itself from a mere instrument to engage with East and South East Asia to anchor and linchpin its approach to the Indo-Pacific region. By focusing on cooperation, maritime security, cultural ties, sustainable development, and technological partnership, India can play a vital role in further strengthening its engagement with the organization and its constituent nations. While the region steers through rough waters, India’s proactive and constructive approach toward ASEAN will be the key to instilling peace, stability, and shared prosperity.

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