Roundtable Cites Role of PH Coordinatorship in Sustained Forward Motion of ASEAN-India Partnership
Ambassador Ignacio (rightmost) outlines PH agenda as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-India Relations. (New Delhi PE photo)
NEW DELHI 06 September 2024 — The Philippines will resolutely drive forward the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between ASEAN and India during its three-year stint as “Country Coordinator for Dialogue Relations” between the regional grouping and the South Asian powerhouse. This was the central message of Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio, as he joined eminent keynote speakers at a Roundtable Discussion on "India and ASEAN: Celebrating 10 years of Act East Policy" on 29 August 2024 hosted by the Embassy of Indonesia and Indian Futures, a New Delhi-based think tank.
The event was held to mark the 10th year of India’s vaunted “Act East Policy”, a diplomatic initiative first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014.
A leveling-up of India’s “Look East Policy” dating back to 1991, “Act East” expanded India’s Neighborhood First Policy to cover enhanced economic, strategic and cultural relations with countries in its extended eastern neighborhood, with ASEAN as “core”.
Ambassador Ignacio addressed the event in consideration of the Philippines’ assumption last month of the rotating role of “Country Coordinator” for ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations, taking over from Singapore. It will hold the post for three years.
Participating in the Roundtable were Heads of Missions and Officials of ASEAN Missions in New Delhi, as well as eminent resource persons on ASEAN-India ties.
These included retired Indian diplomats such as Ambassador and former External Ministry Secretary (East) Riva Ganguly Das, policy experts from think tanks such as the Research and Information System for Developing Studies (RIS), and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies.
Ambassador Ignacio mapped out the priority items in the ASEAN-India agenda that the Philippines will shepherd as Country Coordinator, among them the successor Plan of Action that will guide the partnership.
The Philippine Ambassador also paid tribute to the gains reaped from the Act East Policy over the past decade, citing India’s rise to become a major ASEAN partner especially in the economic, infrastructure, connectivty and socio-cultural spheres.
ASEAN now represents 11% of India’s global trade, totaling USD 122.67 billion.
Ambassador Ignacio urged further efforts to attain economic integration and to boost connectivity in line with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity. He invited consideration of elevated security cooperation. “On the security front, our collaboration must remain agile, with a strong foundation in international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, particularly regarding the maritime domain”, he emphasized.
The Roundtable saw interactive and candid dialogue, with participants proffering illuminating data and insights both on achievements and even areas where uneven progress warrant further attention. END
Ambassador Ignacio keynotes the roundtable. (New Delhi PE photo)
For more information, visit https://www.newdelhipe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/Philippine-Embassy-in-India-348528665275556/.