ASEAN-India Summit, East Asia Summit

Why is in news? PM Modi to leave for Indonesia on Wednesday on 2-day visit to attend ASEAN-India Summit, East Asia Summit in Jakarta

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Indonesia to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit. The two Summits will be hosted in Jakarta by Indonesia the current Chair of ASEAN.

The 20th ASEAN-India Summit is special since it is the first one after the elevation of India-ASEAN relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. During the Summit, the Prime Minister will review the progress in ASEAN-India relations and provide them with further direction.

India's relations with ASEAN are a Central Pillar of Act-East Policy as well as India's vision of the wider Indo-Pacific.

The theme of this year's summit is ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.

ASEAN:

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional organization which was established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial states.

It was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the founding fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

The motto of ASEAN is “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”.

8th August is observed as ASEAN Day.

ASEAN Secretariat – Indonesia, Jakarta.

ASEAN countries have a total population of 662 million people and a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $3.2 trillion as of 2022.

Objectives:

to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region; and

to promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter.

East Asia Summit:

India is the founding member of the East Asia Summit.

During the Summit, the Prime Minister and other leaders will discuss ways to further strengthen East Asia Summit mechanism as well as exchange views on matters of regional and international interests.

The East Asia Summit (EAS) is a regional forum held annually by leaders of, initially, 16 countries in the East Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian and Oceanian regions, based on the ASEAN Plus Six mechanism.

Membership expanded to 18 countries including Russia and the United States at the Sixth EAS in 2011.

EAS meetings are held after the annual ASEAN leaders' meetings and played an important role in the regional architecture of Asia-Pacific.

The first summit was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 14 December 2005.

EAS as a premier Leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic, political, and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in East Asia.

The East Asia Summit has identified six priority areas of cooperation, namely environment and energy, education, finance, global health issues and pandemic diseases, natural disaster management, and ASEAN Connectivity.

The East Asia Summit also discussed cooperation in other areas and emerging issues such as food security, trade and economics, maritime security and cooperation, and traditional and non-traditional security issues.