South China Sea, 10-Point Plan And FTA: Key Highlights Of PM Modi's Visit To Laos For ASEAN-India Summit

During the India-ASEAN leaders’ summit in Vientiane, Laos, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (10 October) announced a 10-point plan, emphasising the critical need for dialogue and cooperation between India and ASEAN amidst global conflicts and tensions.

He highlighted the significance of mutual “respect” for “each other’s national integrity and sovereignty.”

At the 21st ASEAN-India Summit, PM Modi announced a strategic 10-point plan commemorating ten years of India’s Act East Policy.

This plan features several key components, including the establishment of an ASEAN-India Cyber Policy Dialogue, designating 2025 as the ASEAN-India Year of Tourism, and a commitment to doubling scholarships at Nalanda University, among other initiatives.

“We are neighbours, partners in the Global South, and a rapidly growing region in the world. We are peace-loving nations that respect each other’s national integrity and sovereignty," PM Modi said.

“I believe that the 21st century is the ‘Asian Century’, a century for India and ASEAN countries. Today, when there is conflict and tension in many parts of the world, the friendship, coordination, dialogue and cooperation between India and ASEAN are of utmost importance,” he said.

In keeping with the theme of "Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience”, PM Modi announced a 10-point plan which includes:

i) Celebrating the year 2025 as ASEAN-India Year of Tourism for which India would make available USD 5 million towards joint activities;

ii) To celebrate a decade of Act East Policy through several people centric activities including Youth Summit, Start-up Festival, Hackathon, Music Festival, ASEAN-India Network of Think Tanks and Delhi Dialogue;

iii) To organise ASEAN-India Women Scientists Conclave under ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund;

iv) Doubling the number of scholarships at Nalanda University and provision of new scholarships for ASEAN students at Agricultural Universities in India;

v) Review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement by 2025;

vi) Enhancing Disaster Resilience for which India would make available USD 5 million;

vii) Initiate a new Health Ministers’ track towards building Health Resilience;

viii) Initiate a regular mechanism of ASEAN-India Cyber Policy Dialogue towards strengthening Digital and Cyber Resilience;

ix) Workshop on Green Hydrogen; and

x) Invited ASEAN Leaders to join ‘Plant a Tree for Mother’ campaign towards building climate resilience.

Further, PM Modi underlined the need to complete the review of ASEAN-India FTA (AITIGA) in a time bound manner towards harnessing greater economic potential for the benefit of the ASEAN-India community.

In a joint India-ASEAN statement, the leaders also referred to the tension in the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea, and reaffirmed the "importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, and other lawful uses of the seas, including unimpeded lawful maritime commerce and to promote peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO)".

"In this regard, we support the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety and look forward to the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS," the statement said.

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