12 August 2016– The Philippines, along with the other ASEAN Heads of Mission and Representatives, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) Preeti Saran, MEA Joint Secretary (ASEAN) Pooja Kapur, Chief Secretary K.S. Kropha, retired Ambassadors, academicians and students attended the launch of the ASEAN Study Center at the Multi-Convention Hall, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) Campus, Shillong, Meghalaya, India on August 08.
The establishment of the ASEAN Study Center in NEHU Campus, Shillong, Meghalaya, India was first announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 13th ASEAN-India Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from November 21 to 22, 2015.
Less than a year after, the ASEAN Study Centre was launched by MEA Secretary (East) Preeti Saran, on behalf of the Minister of State for External Affairs, Gen. V.K. Singh (Retired).
The launch of the ASEAN Study Center is a milestone event as it coincided with the 49th Anniversary of ASEAN.
In her address, Secretary Saran said the ASEAN Study Center would serve all the stakeholders in Northeastern India and ASEAN in facilitating ASEAN-India research projects, studies, workshops and related activities. It will also serve as a repository of information on the North East India-ASEAN partnership. With the Indian government actively pursuing its Act East Policy to boost trade, and commerce, the ASEAN Study Center would also strengthen the cultural relations between ASEAN countries and India, especially with the Northeastern region whose ethnic tribes share similarities with the neighboring countries. The Northeastern region is at the core of India’s engagement with ASEAN and its Act East Policy.
A panel discussion, also chaired by Secretary Saran, was participated by ASEAN Heads of Missions including the Philippine Ambassador Ma. Teresita C. Daza. In her remarks, Ambassador Daza highlighted the role of the Center in encouraging people to people connectivity through exchange (researchers, academicians and students) and the timeliness of the launch in the preparation for the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN and 25th ASEAN-India Anniversary in 2017. She also called attention to key indicative thrusts of the Philippine Chairmanship in 2017.
The ASEAN Study Center launch was followed by the presentation of the two books: “Look East to Act East Policy: Implications for India’s North-East”, edited by Gurudas Das and C. Joshua Thomas and “The Idea of Surplus, Tagore and Contemporary Human Sciences”, edited by Mrinal Miri. Both books were published by Routledge in New Delhi. END
