This document provides an overview of Indo-ASEAN relations. It discusses the historical background of ASEAN, outlines its 10 member states, and describes the evolution of relations between India and ASEAN from the Cold War period to today. Key areas of cooperation include economic ties, strategic partnerships, connectivity initiatives, security cooperation, and cultural links. Challenges to the relationship include an imbalance in trade and investment and China's increasing presence in the region. The document concludes that ASEAN countries can contribute to India's energy security and that bilateral and multilateral engagement is important to India's geostrategic interests.

1. ASSIGNMENT TOPIC ON
INDO-ASEAN RELATIONSHIP
Submitted By:-Santosh Kumar
Gochhayat
Roll No:-SS/SPS/12/22
Submitted to:-Dr. Chandan Panigrahi
FAKIR MOHAN UNIVERSITY,NUAPADHI,BALASORE,756020

2. CONTENT:
Introduction
Historical Background
Member states
Indo-ASEAN Relation
Timeline
Transition from look East Policy to Act East Policy
Area of Cooperation
Challenges/Irritants
Conclusion

3. INTRODUCTION:
ASEAN officially known as the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations.
It is a political and economic union of 10 member states in
Southeast Asia.
The motto of this association is “One Vision, One Identity, One
Community.’’
ASEAN secretariate-Indonesia, Jakarta.
8th August is observed as ASEAN Day.

4. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations was established on 8th Aug
1967 in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration by
the Five founding members of ASEAN :- Indonesia , Malaysia, Philippines,
Singapore and Thailand.
 This association was established after unsuccessful attempts of South-east
Asian Regional Cooperation which was established in 1959 by Malaysia,
Thailand and the Philippines, but it broke up within two years because
Philippines was claiming Northern Borneo which was part of Thailand.
 In 1963 another regional arrangement was proposed by the Foreign
Ministers Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia to be known as
“MAPHILINDO”. However, it was also dissolved because of the Indonesian
president Sukarno’s policy of “Crush Malaysia”.
 Once Sukarno was out of power and Indonesia gave up hostility towards
Malaysia, it became possible to establish ASEAN in 1967.
 The ASEAN charter came into force in 2008 and it was decided that
ASEAN Summits would be held twice every year.

5. MEMBER STATES:
State Accession
Brunei 7 January 1984
Cambodia 30 April 1999
Indonesia 8 August 1967
Laos 23 July 1997
Malaysia 8 August 1967
Myanmar 23 July 1997
Philippines 8 August 1967
Singapore 8 August 1967
Thailand 8 August 1967
Vietnam 28 July 1995

6. INDO-ASEAN RELATION:
 India-ASEAN relations can be traced to historical and cultural relations. Hinduism,
Buddhism and Islam spread from India to the region and the imprint of this shared
cultural heritage is also seen in art forms and architecture
 Despite this after independence India did not have good relations with ASEAN
because ,ASEAN was under the US camp during the Cold War period ( Ideological
differences).After the end of Cold War ,India – ASEAN relations have evolved from
just economic ties to strategic heights owing to common threats and aspirations.
 India and ASEAN are natural partners in desire to create free and inclusive regional
architecture.

7. TIMELINE:
1991
•Two major events , disintegration of USSR (end of Cold War) and India’s march towards
economic globalization paved way for India’s Look East policy under the P.V.Narasimha Rao
government. India’s ‘Look East’ policy, which was an effort to forge extensive economic,
strategic and cultural relations with the nations of the Asia-Pacific region.
1992
•India became ASEAN’s sectoral dialogue partner
1995
•India became full dialogue partner of ASEAN
1996
•India became a member of ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) ,a key forum for security dialogue
in Asia which provides a setting in which members can discuss current regional security issues
and develop cooperative measures to enhance peace and security in the region.
2002
•India and ASEAN begin to hold annual summit level meetings.

8. 2009
•India- ASEAN Free trade Agreement in Goods was concluded.
2012
•India – ASEAN Strategic Partnership was concluded
2014
•India – ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in Services and Investment was
concluded.This was aimed to facilitate movement of manpower and investments
between India and ASEAN.
2018
•India ASEAN celebrated 25 years of their relationship by holding a commemorative
Summit. Leaders of all ten ASEAN countries were invited as Chief Guests for the
Republic Day parade on January 26,2018
CONTINUE….

9. TRANSITION FROM LOOK EAST POLICY TO ACT
EAST POLICY:
 Look East Policy (LEP) has been a major pillar of India’s foreign policy since the early
1990s.Initiated by PM Narasimha Rao the principal aim of the policy was to pursue a
policy of active engagement with countries of Southeast Asia. Two major reasons
responsible for India’s Look East Policy are
1.Collapse of Soviet Union–
•Collapse of India’s long-term ally left India isolated on the international arena. Also,
the gulf crisis, spike in oil prices, collapse of Rupee-Rubal agreement, all left India
on its own, without an ally on the international scene. This made the search for new
partners imperative for India.
2.Balance of Payment crisis–
• The Balance of Payment crisis & the conditions imposed upon India for
obtaining loans from IMF resulted in India opening up its market by reducing
tariffs to the world. Thus, providing a ready market for good.

10. AREAS OF COOPERATION:
 Economic
•The signing of a FTA in goods in 2009 was a game-changer, and with signing of the India-ASEAN FTA
on Services and Investment in 2014 ,economic relations reached a new high.
•The India-ASEAN trade is currently US$ 86b billion
•Target of scaling the India-ASEAN trade to $100 billion by 2015 failed.
•ASEAN is currently India’s fourth largest trading partner.
 Strategic Depth
•The rising tensions in the South China Sea have lent an added urgency to the strategic dimension of
the relationship.
India has consistently called for freedom of navigation, and on trans-national issues also been a
proactive participant in shaping discourse on these issues in the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and
the East Asia summit process.
 Connectivity
•New Delhi is also looking forward to conclusion of negotiations for an ASEAN-India Transit Transport
Agreement (Proposed).
• Upgradation of Land Customs Stations, addressing immigration, customs, Phyto-sanitary
facilities, permission for transporters, insurance issues along our borders, particularly with
Myanmar. This will be done in India-Myanmar-Thailand negotiations on Transit Transport
Agreement.

11.  IMT Highway
The India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is a highway under construction under India’s Look East
Policy that will connect Moreh, India with Mae Sot, Thailand via Myanmar.
The road will boost the trade and commerce in the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area, and with the rest of
Southeast Asia. India has also proposed extending the highway to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
 Kaladan Multi-Modal Transport Project
• The Kaladan project connects Sittee Port in Myanmar to the India-Myanmar border.
• To create a multi-modal platform for cargo shipments from the eastern ports to Myanmar and to
the North-eastern parts of the country through Myanmar.
• Significance:
• It is expected to open up sea routes and promote economic development in the North-
eastern states, and also add value to the economic, commercial and strategic ties between
India and Myanmar.
• This project will reduce distance from Kolkata to Sittwe by approximately 1328 km and will
reduce the need to transport good through the narrow Siliguri corridor, also known as
Chicken’s Neck.

12.  Security
With the region facing growing traditional and non-traditional challenges, politico-security
cooperation is a key and an emerging pillar of this relationship:
•Maritime security-Safeguarding Sea lanes of communication and combating piracy
•Radicalization and terrorism
•Drug trafficking and Human trafficking
•South China Sea disputes
•In this context India has following attributes that can enhance cooperation:
o Tri services command in Andaman and Nicobar
o Participation in forum for ASEAN security dialogue such as the ASEAN Regional Forum
(ARF). India has been attending annual meetings of this forum since 1996 and has actively
participated in its various activities.
o The ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus is the highest defense consul
sultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. The ADMM+ brings together Defence
Ministers from the 10 ASEAN nations plus Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand,
Republic of Korea, Russia, and the United States on a biannual basis.
o Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF) is an avenue for track 1.5 diplomacy focusing
focusing on cross cutting maritime issues of common concern.

13.  Culture
• India‘s cultural relation with Southeast Asia is centuries old and serves as a living link
between the two regions. Civilizational and cultural links date back thousands of years,
since the prehistoric times.
•The region found mention in many Indian classical works as the Ramayana, while Indian
merchants began bringing Hinduism and Buddhism across the sea by the 1st century AD,
influencing the development of kingdoms and empires like Srivijaya in Sumatra and the
Majapahit in Java, Bali and the Philippine archipelago.
•Hindu religious symbols are very popular in Indonesia. In the medieval periods, Indian
kings had considerable influence in this region as the Hindu temples of Barabadur in Java,
Java, Indonesia and Angkor vat temple in Cambodia bear testimony to it. Also there was
a flourishing trade relations between the two regions.

14. CHALLENGES/IRRITANTS:
 Imbalance in Trade and Investment
•This is primarily attributed to Free trade agreement (FTA) with ASEAN resulting into flooding of cheap
imported products into India.
•Apart from unfavorable balance of trade, India’s domestic producers are also suffering. For example- Cheaper
palm oil from ASEAN is hurting local prod producers in Kerala. On the investment front too, India is at back
foot.
•In 2015, India accounted for only 1.3 percent of total net inflows into ASEAN and was largely in the financial,
insurance and real estate segment.
 China’s increasing presence
• Despite problems between China and ASEAN members on the issue of South China Sea, China is trying
to increase it presence in the area through its one belt one road initiative which is opposed by India.
• For example-investments have been made to connect Laos, Thailand with southern China through high
speed rail links.

15. CONCLUSION:
From the above discussion ,it can be concluded that ASEAN
countries ,particularly Myanmar ,Vietnam and Malaysia can
potentially contribute to India’s energy security.
Also, oil and natural gas deposits in the South China Sea region
should be explored through regional co-operation .
India’s geostrategic interest in the Indo-specific region depend on
India’s bilateral and multilateral engagements with the countries
in the region.

16. REFERENCES:
V N KHANNA .LESLIE K KUMAR /International Relations 6th
Edition
https://www.insightsonindia.com/international-
relations/bilateral-regional-and-global-groupings-and-
agreements-involving-india-and-or-affecting-indias-
interests/india-and-south-east-and-east-asia/indo-asean-
relations.