ASEAN occupies central place in Asia-Pacific’s security architecture: VK Singh

The Dollar Business Bureau

Minister of State for External Affairs Gen VK Singh said on Sunday that ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) occupies a central position in the Asia-Pacific region’s “security architecture” and has the distinctive ability to reflect the greater interests of world. 

From the Indian perspective, ASEAN occupied a central place in the security architecture of the Asia-Pacific region, Singh said while speaking at the 15th meeting of ASEAN-India Foreign Ministers in Manila.

In the last five decades, the regional intergovernmental organisation had put behind it several post-decolonisation discussions of the region and steered away adeptly from the Cold War to enter in a new era of higher economic growth that act as an example to others, he said.

“Surviving the effect of Asian financial crisis occurred in 1997, ASEAN then went on to grow its imprint through the process of East Asia Summit,” Singh said.

“ASEAN signifies the commercial, cultural and physical intersection of the region, therefore, it has a distinct ability to harmonise and reflect the larger interests of the globe,” he said.

India is marking the 25th anniversary of its relations with the ASEAN - a regional intergovernmental grouping consisting of 10 countries from south-east Asia, which promotes cooperation between the members and facilitates political, economic, military, cultural and educational integration among the member countries and other Asian nations.

“On our 25th anniversary, the flower of our relationship, which spans thirty dialogue mechanisms including an annual summit and seven ministerial dialogues, is in full blossom, with the strategic, political, economic and cultural petals aglow,” Singh said.

“This blossoming partnership is being celebrated with a wide range of business, governmental, cultural, civil society and diaspora interactions in India and also in the member nations which would come out in in the form of ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit,” he said.

This Commemorative Summit would be a confirmation of our shared mission for prosperity, security and stability,” he added.