India will make "specific proposals" for increasing cooperation in tourism, education and business ties between Asia and Europe at the 10th ASEM Summit to be held in Italy later this month.
Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh will head the Indian delegation at the crucial Summit to be held on October 16-17 in Milan.
The Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) was established in 1996 and India joined as a member in 2007 and the last Foreign Ministers' meeting of the grouping was held in Gurgaon last year.
The principal theme of the Summit this year will be "responsible partnership for sustainable growth and security" and areas of focus are going to financial and economic cooperation through enhanced Europe-Asia connectivity as well as Europe-Asia partnership in addressing global matters in an interconnected world, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said.
Explaining India's approach, he said the country will emphasise that connectivity should not be limited to merely geographical connectivity but should have connectivity of institutions, people-to-people ties and systems so that Asia and Europe act as a bridge for each other.
"We will articulate our views on expanding and cooperating in tourism, in terms of mobility of people, education and business ties. We intend to make specific proposals on each of these at the Summit and will follow it up at the next Summit," Akbaruddin said.
