An India-ASEAN bourgeoning partnership is on the rise that would change the strategic and economic landscape between South Asia and South East Asia. India has been vigorously pursuing the goals of its “Act East” policy, replacing Narasimha Rao’s “Look East” policy devised in the early 1990s, to re-calibrate ties with the ten-member Association of the South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).[1]
The India-ASEAN partnership has grown to quarter century of fruitarian and delivered various dividends. Celebrating this occasion, a Commemorative Summit was convened in New Delhi on January 25-26, 2018 under the theme of “Shared Values, Common Destiny”.[2] The ASEAN leaders namely; Vietnam Prime Minister, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Cambodian Prime, Minister Hun Sen, the Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, Myanmar state counsellor, Aung Saan Suu Kyi, Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsein Loong, Thailand Prime Minister, Prayut Chan-o-cha, Brunei Sultan, Hassan al Bolkiah, Malaysia Prime Minister, Najib Razak, Laos Prime Minister, Thongluin Sisolith, and Indonesia President, Joko Widodo[3] met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed matters of security, terrorism, commerce, tourism, education, and people-to-people contacts to expand mutual ties. The eleven-page ASEAN Delhi Declaration comprehensively covered all areas of cooperation and suggested strategies to further alleviate the relationship.