Now to go back, most of you would be aware that the First India-ASEAN Summit was held in 2002 in Phnom Penh in Cambodia. This is the seventh in the series. The assembled leaders of the ten ASEAN countries and our Prime Minister would review the progress in the growth of our relationship which commenced with the launch of our Look East Policy in 1992. Since then we have made major strides in our bilateral relationship. This has been evidenced by the signing of the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement in Goods in the middle of August in Bangkok. Presently the two sides are engaged in discussing the Free Trade Agreement in Services and Investment.

Overall our trade has been growing. According to some figures, the India-ASEAN trade amounts to about 10 per cent of our global trade. If you just take the ASEAN, it is a region that comprises of about 600 million people where the nominal GDP is about 1.7 trillion US dollars. These figures are for 2008. Our cooperation with all the ASEAN countries covers the vast array of fields including information and communications technology, human resource development, agriculture and tourism.

We are also active participants in a programme called the Initiative for ASEAN Integration. This was begun in 2004 with a kind of an agreement that was signed among the ASEAN countries to help the recent entrants - that is Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam – to reduce the gap in development in those countries and the original six who had been members from much earlier in the late 1960s itself. Under this Initiative for ASEAN Integration, we have had a tremendous degree of success in all the four countries and we look forward to integrating some of their development process using information technology, entrepreneurship development and English language teaching centres which we have succeeded in establishing in these four countries. There are other countries also who are now interested particularly in IT as well as in English language teaching centres.

Our relations with the ASEAN countries overall have assumed greater salience in the last few years. Particularly, it has assumed a special role after the emergence of the global economic and financial crisis. As most of you would be aware, although all countries in the world have been affected adversely by the crisis, the fact does remain that many among the Asian countries have been able to meet some of these challenges with a significant degree of success starting with India itself. Today the Prime Minister released figures of growth of GDP. About 6.7 per cent is what we expect despite various problems that we are facing. Similarly, a country like China has posted a very high degree of rate of growth, well over 8 per cent and close to 9.

Overall, Asian countries including the ASEAN countries have been able to deal with the after-effects of the global financial crisis with a certain degree of confidence and success. This would be one of the main subjects of discussion in both the Summits, and certainly in the India-ASEAN Summit.

The Fourth East Asia Summit that meets on the 25th of October comprises the ten ASEAN countries and Australia, New Zealand, India, China, Japan and South Korea. These are the 16 members. It was established in 2005 in Kuala Lumpur. It has been able to develop a wider vision of cooperation within Asia encompassing developed, developing, emerging markets and least developed countries. So, it is a mix which gives an opportunity to the members to exchange their expertise in different fields whether it is manufacturing or capacity-building or training. It gives them a tremendous degree of opportunity and this has been utilised in a variety of areas. This includes energy, environment, climate change and sustainable development, financial cooperation, natural disaster mitigation, education and most importantly a Track II study on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia. It is called the CEPEA. Till recently, CEPEA was on a Track II where mostly think tanks and representatives including economic experts were examining how to facilitate and expand trade among the East Asia Summit countries that is the ASEAN plus Six. Recently, when the Economic Ministers of the East Asia Summit countries met in Bangkok in August, they decided to enhance the activity of CEPEA from the so-called Track II to Track I in the sense that senior officials of the respective Governments would now meet to discuss how to take this forward.

The ASEAN Summit, independent of India associating with ASEAN or EAS itself, which is currently being held amongst the ASEAN countries has the theme of enhancing connectivity and empowering people. That is very important in the present day context when all countries have to connect with each other so that they can grow, in the difficult circumstances that they face, with a fair degree of confidence and take their economic growth forward.

There will be a Chair’s Statement after the East Asia Summit and the leaders will also adopt a statement on disaster management which outlines the elements of future cooperation amongst the participating countries in this particular field. Earlier in June of this year, the Thai Government after consultations with all the concerned governments have issued a statement on global economic and financial crisis. This was to have been issued in April but then because of the fact that the Summit could not be held in April, it was issued in June. Now both Summit meetings are timely because it is just about a year since the global economic crisis broke out and countries have been able to deal with the after-effects with varying degrees of success. But the important thing is these meetings give us an opportunity of exchanging views, exchanging notes as it were and to see how best we can complement each other’s strengths so that the future of economic development of all the countries continues at a pace to the satisfaction of the leaders.

I think I will stop here. If there are a couple of questions, I will take them.

Question: Mr. Ravi, is there any confirmation about the Prime Minister meeting the Chinese Premier as well at the ASEAN Summit? If yes, when will that be?

Secretary (East): The meetings with various leaders are under planning. The scheduling is taking place. As soon as a meeting is confirmed, all of you would know.

Question: Is Free Trade Agreement in Services and Investment likely to be finalised during the Summit?

Secretary (East): According to my information, two rounds have already been completed. The information is that the discussions are proceeding in good atmosphere. So, though not by the time of the Summit, certainly before long we should have some degree of common approaches in this sector.

Question: What is latest on the Nalanda project?

Secretary (East): The Nalanda project has been examined by the Nalanda Mentor Group under the chairmanship of Prof. Amartya Sen. It has held five meetings including one meeting on-site in Nalanda in February of this year. Based on their recommendations we are in discussion with all the East Asia Summit countries on how to proceed forward. Within the country we already have the Nalanda University Bill in Bihar which has already been passed. There is a basic plan that they have. But now that it is going to be an internationally agreed project among the different countries. We may have some kind of a common position emerging in the forthcoming summit.

Question: I just wanted to carry forward the question about the expected meeting between the Prime Minister and Chinese Premier. Are we looking forward to express our concern on the recent exchanges of statements by both the Governments and of course the demarches?

Secretary (East): Relations between India and any other country including China cover a very wide range and all subjects of mutual interest and immediate interest would be covered. As soon as the meeting is fixed, I am sure we will inform you and you all will come to know of it. We will inform you of the results of the meeting also. I think before you leave you will know what it is all about.

Question: You said that 10 per cent of our global trade is between India and ASEAN countries. In terms of quantum, how much is the trade between the two. Could you give us the actual figure?

Secretary (East): India-ASEAN trade has reached a figure of about 38 billion dollars in 2007-08. I am running into a bit of a problem here because certain websites give a different data and some figures are provisional. So, anything between 35 to 38 billion dollars last year would be a safe figure.

Question: Sir, two questions. The FTA on goods has already been signed but there are many issues still relating to the negative lists of various countries especially Thailand which has got a very extensive negative list of agricultural and plantation products. Will that be taken up for discussion during these meetings either at the bilateral level or at the ASEAN level? Secondly, what broadly is India’s negotiating position with regard to the FTA on services which is being discussed?

Secretary (East): As regards the specific details regarding Thailand, I am sure only the Commerce Ministry can authoritatively answer you. But suffice it to say that any opportunity that we get to discuss matters of interest to us with any other country, in this case as you mentioned Thailand, would be taken up at the appropriate level. As regards the second question, there is no denying the fact that in terms of services India does have a certain degree of advantage vis-a-vis the ASEAN countries. We are keen that we should enter into an agreement as early as possible. Similarly in investments also, it in fact is both ways. Malaysia, Indonesia and to a certain extent Thailand have invested reasonably in India and so have we in Indonesia and in Malaysia. We are keen. The feedback is that the discussions have proceeded quite satisfactorily so far. So, I do not see much problem as we stand now. But I am sure the kinks will have to be ironed out by the experts as they speak.

Question: Sir, when is the FTA on goods going to come into effect?

Secretary (East): As per the agreement that was signed, I think January 1, 2010, subject to correction, is the date of entry into force of the India-ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement.

Question: Will there be a separate Summit of ASEAN Plus 3 with India, China, Korea or Japan?

Secretary (East): As per the programme that we have got, all the countries - China, Japan, and South Korea - have their own individual summits with ASEAN and a collective ASEAN Plus 3 Summit. We have ASEAN-India Summit and then finally we go on to the East Asia Summit the following day.

Question: But there is no collective ASEAN Plus 3 format?

Secretary (East): There is an ASEAN Plus 3 format also.

Question: Are we looking at a common regional approach towards tackling terrorism? It is getting to be almost one year since Mumbai attacks and international pressure seems to be easing. Is that going to be an issue at this summit?

Secretary (East): It is a little difficult to guess what subject will be discussed there. But one question is sustainable economic development and the need for economic development aided by a peaceful environment is a principle that is understood by all the countries involved. So, it is up to the leaders to really discuss this particular matter.

Question: My question on ASEAN is answered. I have one question on Afghanistan. How is India watching the run-off in Afghanistan?

Official Spokesperson: Sir, can I, with your permission, just take this question?

Secretary (East): Yes.

Official Spokesperson: As you are aware, the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan has announced the second round of Presidential Elections involving a run-off between President Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah Abdullah on 7 November 2009. It is our hope that the election process will strengthen democracy in Afghanistan and would be conducted peacefully in a violence free atmosphere. Thank you.