India and ASEAN mark 30 years of diplomatic relations in Cambodia

The diplomatic relationship between India and ASEAN turned 30 this year and was marked by the ASEAN-India summit that took place today in Cambodia. It also reiterated New Delhi’s support for core principles like ASEAN centrality in the region and a joint vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. According to a joint statement released after the summit, both sides reaffirmed “the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, stability, maritime safety and security, freedom of navigation and overflight in the region, and other lawful uses of the seas and unimpeded lawful maritime commerce and to promote peaceful resolutions of disputes, in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the relevant standards and recommended practices by the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Maritime Organization.” They also agreed to “advance maritime cooperation, including in maritime security, countering piracy and armed robbery against ships, maritime safety, and search and rescue operations.” Bilateral trade was also an important feature of the summit. According to the join statement, India and ASEAN agreed to “expedite the review of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement to make it more user-friendly, simple, and trade-facilitative, and work together to forge resilient supply chains, explore cooperation on Single Window platform to enhance trade facilitation and integration, and promote the development of MSMEs and start-ups, including through business-matching events with the facilitation by the ASEAN-India Business Council ”.