Association secretary general's trip to New Delhi brings bloc closer to Asian giant
At the invitation of the Government of the Republic of India, H.E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, paid a working visit to India from Feb. 12-15, 2024. February. The purpose of the visit was to further advance the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSC) by reactivating engagements across the spectrum of ASEAN's three community pillars and promoting ASEAN diplomacy and visibility in India. Rooted in centuries of civil ties, maritime connectivity and cross-cultural exchanges, the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership continued to gain momentum. During the visit, India reaffirmed to the ASEAN Secretary-General its commitment to work with ASEAN and its partners in support of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. India expressed its unwavering support for the centrality of ASEAN and the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Perspectives (AOIP) as the principle and framework for promoting cooperation in the region. The visit highlighted India's position as ASEAN's eighth largest trading partner, with total trade of $113.08 billion, accounting for 2.94 percent of ASEAN's total trade. Meanwhile, foreign direct investment flows from India to ASEAN totaled $0.68 billion in 2022. To further maximize the potential of ASEAN-India economic cooperation while at the same time geo-economic uncertainties, the ASEAN Secretary-General has communicated to India the need for both sides to further increase trade and investment including through full and effective utilization of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA), early utilization of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Area (AIFTA), early conclusion of the ASEAN-India Agreement on Trade in Goods (AITIGA) review negotiations, and India's potential participation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Meanwhile, in the tourism sector, discussions during the visit noted a significant increase in the number of visitor arrivals from India to ASEAN to 2.38 million by 2022. This reflects the positive signs of the post-COVID-19 recovery, which is expected to further benefit both sides through the development of sustainable tourism and collaboration on marketing initiatives to present ASEAN as a unique tourism destination for the Indian market.
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