PM for early ASEAN pact in services, investment

Keen on India’s deeper and enhanced integration with South East Asia, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today pressed for early completion of the free trade agreement in services and investment and implementation of such a pact on goods signed last year.

Singh also announced visa-on-arrival facility to nationals of Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Laos from January next year and a slew of other measures like setting up of a Centre for Tracking and Data Reception and an Imaging facility for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

Speaking at the India-ASEAN Summit which came out with a five-year ‘Plan of Action’ outlining roadmap for enhanced multi-faceted cooperation, Singh said India’s economy was expected to witness a sustained growth rate of 9-10 per cent in the coming years, which would offer many opportunities for trade and investment.

“Our experience of implementation shows we need to work very hard at all levels if we have to accelerate the pace of engagement as outlined in the ‘Plan of Action’, he told the leaders of 10 ASEAN members assembled here for the annual Summit.

The Plan of Action contains 82 points identified for implementation to tap the vast potential in various fields.