PM leaves for Bali to attend Asean, East Asia Summits

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today left for Bali in Indonesia to participate in the ninth India-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and the sixth East Asia Summit.

Dr Singh, who is accompanied by National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, the Principal Secretary and Secretary East of the Ministry of External Affairs, will also pay an official visit to Singapore after the two summits. The ninth India-ASEAN Summit to be held on the November 19, would take stock of ASEAN-India relations which have witnessed a rapid period of growth in the past 20 years, from the time that India became a sectoral dialogue partner in 1992. The country became a full dialogue partner in 1996 and a Summit level partner in 2002, MEA officials said here. India has enjoyed close economic and trade relations with Asian countries. Main areas of cooperation are partnership, capacity building, dialogue and connectivity at the civilisational, cultural, geographic and institutional levels and addressing common challenges. “The pace and scope of progress has been facilitated by a Plan of Action that ASEAN and India have agreed to periodically. In recent months, we have sought to intensify our collaboration and a number of projects have been suggested to ASEAN member states through the ASEAN Secretariat,” Secretary East, Sanjay Singh said here. India-ASEAN trade in Goods Agreement is already in place and negotiations for conclusion of India-ASEAN trade in Services and Trade agreements were underway. There was 30 per cent increase in total bilateral trade between India and ASEAN countries in 2010-11.Dr Singh would also participate in the 18-country sixth East Asia Summit on November 19, which is being held against the backdrop of the increasing importance of Asia in geopolitics. Russia and the US would be participating in the EAS for the first time formally as members of this forum. The East Asia region comprises some of the more dynamic economies and emerging powers.