Jakarta: ASEAN and India reaffirmed their commitment to bring their Strategic Partnership to a greater height at the 22nd ASEAN-India Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting held at the ASEAN Secretariat on Wednesday.
"This year is an important milestone in the partnership, marking the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations, and the designation of the year as ASEAN-India Friendship Year," the ASEAN Secretariat said in a media release on Thursday.
The meeting noted several commemorative activities to mark the momentous occasion, and appreciated India for holding the Commemorative Reception on 4 March to kick off the commemoration of Friendship Year.
The meeting took note of the overall progress in implementing the ASEAN-India Plan of Action (2021-2025). Both sides reiterated their commitment to effectively continue the implementation of the Plan of Action to ensure the depth and breadth of the engagement between ASEAN and India benefit the peoples of both sides.
Both sides have established an ASEAN-India Project Management Unit at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, as part of the efforts to strengthen effective utilisation, management and execution of the joint programmes/projects funded through ASEAN-India Fund and the ASEAN-India Green Fund.
The meeting commended India’s active participation and contribution to supporting the ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture, particularly the ASEAN-led mechanisms. It underscored the importance of the implementation of the ASEAN-India Joint Statement on Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific for Peace, Stability, and Prosperity in the Region, which was adopted by the Leaders at the 18th ASEAN-India Summit in October last year.
Further, the meeting expressed the hope that the ongoing review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) will result in a mutually beneficial outcome, to harness the full potential of bilateral trade, as it serves as one of the primary trade frameworks connecting ASEAN and India. The meeting also appreciated India’s key role in the undertaking of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway Project which would be extended into Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam. The extension would pave the way for ASEAN-India transport links and trade relations and enhance bilateral connectivity.
The meeting appreciated India’s US$ 1 million contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, as well as for its in-kind contribution, particularly humanitarian relief items that were delivered to Myanmar through the AHA Centre in November 2021.
Both sides exchanged views on possible collaboration on mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination certificates, addressing long-term impact of the pandemic on the mental health, as well as post-pandemic economic recovery, including on maintaining global supply change.
They deliberated on several initiatives for enhancing cooperation in various areas of mutual benefits, such as combatting transnational crime; maritime security; trade and investment; energy; finance; science and technology; digital economy/4th Industrial Revolution; and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Other areas such as, tourism; education; sustainable development; biodiversity; climate change; blue economy smart cities; Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET); disaster management; public health; women empowerment; people-to-people contacts; connectivity; and narrowing development gap in ASEAN, were also discussed.
Permanent Representative of Singapore to ASEAN Kok Li Peng and Ambassador of India to ASEAN Jayant N Khobragade co-chaired the 22nd AIJCC Meeting. In attendance were the members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN, the ASEAN Secretariat and their respective delegations.
Cek Berita dan Artikel yang lain di Google News
FOLLOW US
Ikuti media sosial medcom.id dan dapatkan berbagai keuntungan
