Vibrant Indo-Asean Leadership

Distillation of the voyage of ASEAN during the last five decades and how the synergies between India and the region blossomed from a bud into a flower have always been the subjects of awe and inspiration for the world at large.

The Indo-ASEAN leadership, founded on congruent ideas and a common vision of the region and the world, is underpinned by spiritualism, civilisational and robust cultural ties of the member countries. Physical and institutional connectivities, not so organised between India and ASEAN countries, still remain a cause of concern and indicate a need for a multifunctional and multimodal approach. Providing a fillip to connectivity among them can breathe new life into the trade, social development tourism and industrialisation of the region. Creation of a fund ring-fenced in this direction will prove practically to be an effective step, to make this headship even more vibrant, adoption of ‘Act of East Doctrine’ by the present Indian dispensation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi proved nothing less than a boon. At a time when the risks of terrorism and environmental degradation are more pronounced, some earnest efforts to eliminate them and getting the policy framework into action mode without delay will certainly do the trick.