Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd today said he expects a decision to be taken on India's membership of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) by November 2016, highlighting the forum's role in providing greater access to global supply chains.
Rudd, who is now the President of the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), heads a task force constituted by industry body CII and ASPI to develop the case and a strategy for gaining Indian membership in the APEC forum.
Asked when he expects a decision on India's membership of the APEC, in case the forum decides to open its membership in November this year, Rudd told PTI: "By the Lima Summit in November 2016. I cannot imagine APEC engaged in a dilatory process which spins this off into eternity".
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However, he outlined that one of the challenges for India in acquiring membership of the APEC "will be to make sure that we do not have any opposition coming from the United States".
"I don't think there will be (opposition), because it is overwhelmingly in US interest for India to be a member of the APEC, but I am sure Indian diplomats are active right across the field. I see no evidence of any reservations in Asia," he said, adding that he has not detected any opposition to India's membership "including from China".
Former foreign Secretary Shyam Saran termed this as a "propitious" time for India to secure membership of APEC.
"There is already a reference to US support for India's membership of the APEC. There will be another occasion for this issue to be taken up when the two leaders (President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi) meet later in September," Saran pointed out.
Elaborating on the roadmap and hurdles for India to secure membership of the APEC forum, Rudd said the historical hurdle has been that APEC some years ago decided to close its membership list.
"The advantage we now face is that APEC has indicated it is prepared to open its membership list. What we require is a decision coming out of this APEC Summit in November that in 2015-16 applications for new memberships will be considered. Other countries who have applied include Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador," he said.
"APEC membership for India is fundamentally important in supporting India and its desire to improve its international economic competitiveness and as a consequence its greater access to global supply chain. It assists in the efforts being undertaken here in India to fundamentally increase India's participation in the global and regional economy," he added.
Terming India's APEC membership as the "missing link" in the country's Act East policy, Saran said "it is rather surprising that India is not a part of APEC.".
