'Act East' policy puts ASEAN at centre of engagement with Indo-Pacific: Prez

Underlining that ASEAN-India relations are special, President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday said India's "Act East" policy puts the region at the centre of its engagement with the Indo-Pacific.

Addressing the India-Philippines Business Conclave and the 4th ASEAN-India Business Summit here, President Kovind said the ASEAN is one of the most economically dynamic regions of the world today.

Emphasising that India has deep political and people-to-people relations with each and every country in the ASEAN, he said India wants to bring the economic and business relations up to the same level.

Noting that ASEAN-India trade has jumped significantly in the past few years, President Kovind said,"We still have a long distance to cover to reach the target of USD 200 billion by 2022."
Speaking at a State Banquet, the president said this year is a landmark in the bilateral journey. "I have undertaken this State visit to the Philippines to celebrate the 70th anniversary of our diplomatic relations and to yet again commit ourselves to the Philippines-India bilateral partnership."