Tenth edition of Delhi Dialogue set for this month: Sushma Swaraj to chair ministerial session on India-ASEAN ties

India is set to hold the tenth edition of Delhi Dialogue, the premier annual event to discuss politico-security, economic and socio-cultural engagement between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), on 19-20 July, according to reports. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will chair the ministerial session on 19 July, according to The Times of India. Singapore foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Vietnam deputy foreign minister Vu Hong Nam have confirmed their presence as of now, the report added. [caption id=“attachment_4696391” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. AP[/caption] The Delhi Dialogue has been held annually since 2009 and political leaders, policy makers, senior officials, diplomats, think tanks and academicians from both sides participate in the discussions pertaining to ASEAN-India relations. The meet is aimed at finding a common ground and expanding the scope of cooperation between India and ASEAN nations. This year, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) might feature in talks at the dialogue with Singapore’s finance minister Heng Swee Keat calling for a conclusion by the end of the year. He further said that countries benefit quite significantly from free trade and trade agreements also stimulate domestic economic reforms. The RCEP is a free trade area (FTA) consisting of 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Laos and Vietnam) and their six FTA partners: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Further, the dialogue assumes even greater significance in the backdrop of an assertive China. At the ASEAN-India commemorative summit 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised on India’s commitment to enhance maritime collaboration with ASEAN nations. India and the ASEAN nations also  agreed to set up a mechanism on maritime cooperation to counter the common “traditional” and “non-traditional” challenges they face. India also hosted the 10 ASEAN leaders at its Republic Day this year and Modi said that “we have made success in implementing objective of ASEAN-India partisanship for peace, progress and shared prosperity through five year plan of action.” In an op-ed published by twenty-seven newspapers in 10 languages in 10 ASEAN countries, Modi said that India and ASEAN have relations “free from contests and claims” and believe in sovereign equality of all nations irrespective of size, and support for free and open pathways of commerce and engagement. The Indo-Pacific is another important issue which might be raised. At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Modi said that the “ten countries of South East Asia connect the two great oceans – the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean – in both the geographical and civilisational sense.” “Inclusiveness, openness and ASEAN centrality and unity, therefore, lie at the heart of the new Indo-Pacific,” the prime minister had said. The ASEAN nations had also earlier welcomed India’s positive role in the Indo-Pacific region. According to Preeti Saran, secretary (east) in the Indian foreign ministry, quoted by Livemint, the ASEAN leaders described India’s role as an important factor for peace and stability. About Delhi Dialogue 2017 Last year, the theme of the dialogue was “ASEAN-India Relations: Charting the Course for the Next 25 Years” and Swaraj hosted the ministerial session. At the ninth edition, Swaraj said India is focusing on commerce, connectivity and culture as the key areas of cooperation in future with ASEAN and highlighted the government’s reform initiatives to boost trade and investment in India while referring to the roll out of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Calling ASEAN and India “natural partners”, the minister said that 2017 marked 50 years of ASEAN. The ninth edition of the Delhi Dialogue also coincided with the 25 years of ASEAN-India ties. She also mentioned Modi’s remarks in 2014 at the India-ASEAN summit when he announced the ‘Act East’ policy. “We place ASEAN at the heart of our ‘Act East Policy’ and at the centre of our dream of an Asian century,” she added. Swaraj also invited companies from ASEAN countries to invest in India.