Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday, strongly reiterated India’s commitment to freedom of navigation, overflight, and unimpeded lawful commerce in international waters by the laws” while addressing the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting and ADMM Plus, in Jakarta, Indonesia. The defence minister extended India’s commitment to result-oriented cooperation with ADMM-Plus to enhance maritime security in the region.
The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the United States (collectively referred to as the “Plus Countries”), to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region.
Vocal for Peace
The defence minister said “There is no way to peace, peace is the only way,” quoting Mahatma Gandhi during his address, and clearing India’s message of “this is not an era of war.”
The defence minister vocalised “Dialogue and diplomacy” to resolve issues. Highlighting the large number of casualties, followed by humanitarian crises, such as poverty, instability, and hunger, Singh further emphasized India’s support for the collective effort to maintain and uphold security in the ASEAN region.
ASEAN-India Ties
Upholding the ties between India and the ASEAN Member States, Singh signified various initiatives such as the Initiative for Women in UN Peacekeeping Operations, and the Initiative for Marine Plastic Pollution Response. In terms of defence cooperation, Singh hailed the participation of the first ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise in May this year, as well as in the Expert Working Group (EWG) on Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) activities, of which India and Indonesia are co-chairs in the current 2020-2023 cycle.
Formed in 1967, ASEAN, or the Association of South East Asian Nations is a union of 10 states in the South East Asian region. The organisation collectively works towards economic growth, cultural development and social progress of the region.
India entered into a Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN in 2009. India’s merchandise exports to ASEAN in FY23 were valued at $43.72 billion.