PM Modi Presents 12-Point Proposal For India-ASEAN Cooperation

During the ASEAN-India Summit on 7 September 2023 in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a 12-point proposal to strengthen India-ASEAN cooperation.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and India have agreed to conduct financial cooperation in the areas of food security, nutrition, food supply chain and agriculture, and climate-resilient technology.

Strengthening food security and nutrition:

• In the joint statement of the leaders of ASEAN countries and India, emphasis has been laid on strengthening food security and nutrition systems in times of crisis.

PM Modi's 12-Point Proposal:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has presented a 12-point proposal to strengthen India-ASEAN cooperation.
• These include connectivity, digital transformation, trade and economic engagement, addressing contemporary challenges, people-to-people contacts and deepening strategic engagement.
• PM Modi proposed to start multi-modal connectivity and economic corridors connecting South-East, Asia-India-West and Asia-Europe.

ASEAN-India Fund:

• The Prime Minister offered to share India's digital public infrastructure with ASEAN partners. They announced the ASEAN-India Fund for the Digital Future with a focus on cooperation in digital transformation and facilitating financial connectivity.
• Prime Minister Modi offered cooperation for the Economic and Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia to act as knowledge partners with the aim of enhancing cooperation.
• Prime Minister Modi called for collective presentation of issues facing the Global South in multilateral fora.

Emphasis on food security:

• ASEAN countries and India committed to exchange information on rice and other primary agricultural products and nutritious cereals.
• Both sides also emphasized on ensuring the production of millets keeping in view the food security and climate crisis.
• Apart from this, both sides also agreed on free flow of trade and food grains and other agricultural essentials like fertilizers and pesticides.
• The possibility of inter-governmental supply of food grains from public stockpiles of ASEAN countries and India for humanitarian purposes in case of emergency has also been discussed.
• India and ASEAN countries have agreed to encourage digital technology and digital infrastructure in the field of agriculture.