Kumar Bahukhandi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday pitched for an early review of the India-ASEAN free trade pact and said the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides is emerging as a powerful foundation for global stability in an era of uncertainties.
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday October 26, 2025 pitched for an early review of the India-ASEAN free trade pact and said the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides is emerging as a powerful foundation for global stability in an era of uncertainties.
In a virtual address at the India-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) annual summit in Kuala Lumpur, Modi described terrorism as a “serious challenge” to global peace and security, and underlined the importance of unity to combat the menace.
The prime minister also declared 2026 as the “ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation” and reaffirmed New Delhi’s strong support to the grouping’s centrality in the Indo-Pacific, a region that has witnessed growing Chinese military assertiveness.
Modi emphasised that an “early review of the ASEAN-India FTA (AITIGA) can unleash the full economic potential of our relationship for the benefit of our peoples and further strengthen regional cooperation”, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
In his remarks, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said there has been “some real progress” in the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) and that the grouping wants to conclude it by this year.
The AITIGA came into force over 15 years ago.
The ASEAN-India summit saw both sides discussing initiatives to strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership, especially in areas of food security, resilient supply chain, tourism and education.
The two sides also unveiled a statement on sustainable tourism, noting that tourism has become one of the important drivers for economic growth for both ASEAN and India.
PM Modi also extended support for implementation of the ASEAN-India Plan of Action to implement the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (2026-2030).
The prime minister also proposed to organise the second ASEAN-India defence ministers’ meeting and the second ASEAN-India maritime exercise for a secure maritime environment.
India will continue its role as a first responder in times of crisis in the neighbourhood, and further strengthen cooperation in disaster preparedness, he said.
Modi also announced that India will impart training to 400 professionals in renewable energy, for supporting the ASEAN power grid initiative.
It was his 12th participation in the India-ASEAN summit.
In his address, Modi congratulated Timor Leste on becoming the 11th member of ASEAN.
The 11-nation grouping is considered one of the most influential blocs in the region, and India and several other countries including the US, China, Japan and Australia are its dialogue partners.
Malaysia is hosting the annual ASEAN summit and related meetings in Kuala Lumpur in its capacity as the current chair of the grouping.
“India and ASEAN together represent nearly one-fourth of the world’s population. We not only share geography; we are also bound by deep historical ties and shared values,” Modi said in his opening remarks.
“We are companions in the Global South. We are not only commercial partners but also cultural partners. ASEAN is a cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy.”
The prime minister said India has always fully supported ASEAN centrality and ASEAN’s outlook in the Indo-Pacific.
“Even in this era of uncertainties, India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has continued to make steady progress. And this strong partnership of ours is emerging as a robust foundation for global stability and development,” he said.
The prime minister said both sides are steadily advancing cooperation in areas of education, tourism, science and technology, health, green energy, and cyber security.
“We will continue to work together to preserve our shared cultural heritage and strengthen people-to-people ties,” he said.
“The 21st century is our century, the century of India and ASEAN. I am confident that the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047 will build a bright future for all of humanity,” he said.
India is committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder in this direction, he said.
Modi said the ASEAN Summit’s theme of ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’ is clearly reflected in joint efforts, whether it is digital inclusion or ensuring food security and resilient supply chains amid current global challenges.
“India fully supports these priorities and is committed to advancing them together,” he said.
“India has stood firmly with its ASEAN friends in every disaster. Our cooperation in HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief), maritime security, and the blue economy is growing rapidly,” he said.
“In view of this, we are declaring 2026 as ‘ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation’,” he noted.
The ASEAN-India dialogue relations started with the establishment of a sectoral partnership in 1992. This graduated to full dialogue partnership in December 1995 and summit level partnership in 2002. The ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012.
The two-way relations between India and ASEAN have been on a significant upswing in the last few years with focus being on boosting cooperation in the areas of trade and investment as well as security and defence.
In his comments, the Malaysian prime minister said India-ASEAN relationship remained a “force for stability and mutual prosperity”.
(Source-PTI)
