Page 2 - Asean

PM Modi unlikely to attend Asean summit in Malaysia; EAM to represent India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to travel to Malaysia to participate in the meetings related to the ASEAN summit beginning Sunday due to scheduling issues, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. It is learnt that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the meetings. The ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28. There is no official word on India's level of participation at the deliberations related to the summit. The people cited above said India is learnt to have conveyed to Malaysia that Jaishankar will represent India at the ASEAN meetings. There is a possibility of PM Modi's participation through virtual mode at the ASEAN-India summit. The prime minister has led the Indian delegations at the ASEAN-India summit and the East Asia Summit in the last few years. Malaysia has invited US President Donald Trump as well as leaders of several countries which are the dialogue par

US trans-shipment tariff to create compliance issues for firms: Moody's

The 40 per cent trans-shipment tariff by the US will create major compliance issues for companies in India and the ASEAN region, with high risks for sectors like machinery, electrical equipment and semiconductors, Moody's Ratings said on Tuesday. In July 31, US President Donald Trump announced a 40 per cent tariff on goods deemed to have been transshipped, beyond the broader country-level tariffs. Moody's, in its 'Trade Asia-Pacific' report, said it remains unclear how the Trump administration defines trans-shipment, but the measures appear to target products originating in China and shipping through third countries with lower tariffs. Stating that lack of clarity around trans-shipment tariff poses risks to ASEAN economies, Moody's said if the US maintains a narrow interpretation targeting only goods imported from China, minimally processed or re-labelled and re-exported to the US the economic impact on regional economies may be limited. However, a broader and more punitive ...

Nepal's convulsions, lessons for India: Rethinking South Asian integration

There have been half-hearted efforts to remake South Asia in the image of the European Union or at least the Asean, but now they seem to have been given up entirely

Asean benefits when China, India engage, says Singapore's minister

Describing India and China as "drivers of Asia's growth", a senior Singaporean minister on Monday said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gain when New Delhi and Beijing engage. "ASEAN is a platform where both giants (India and China) can connect with the wider region, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan said at a forum here on the recent China-India initiative to re-connect. Alongside ASEAN, they are drivers of Asia's growth," he asserted. ASEAN a regional organisation set up to promote economic growth, social progress, and regional peace and stability. The 10-member bloc comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Tan noted that ASEAN offers a thriving market, stability and opportunity for trade and cooperation. He was speaking at the forum titled 'China and India: Fostering Growth, Investment and Trade Amid Global Uncertainty', organised by the East Asian Institute and the ...

India's Act East policy needs deeper economic integration with Asean

India's Act East policy needs fresh momentum through deeper economic integration with Asean

Next round of India-Asean trade pact review talks in October in Jakarta

The next round of review talks for the India-Asean free trade agreement in goods will be held in October this year in Jakarta, an official statement said on Friday. The tenth round of the negotiations concluded here this month (August 10-14). The Commerce Ministry said the Joint Committee focused on advancing the ongoing review of AITIGA (Asean India trade in goods agreement) to enhance its effectiveness, accessibility, and trade facilitation capabilities. ASEAN remains a key trade partner for India, accounting for around 11 per cent of India's global trade. The bilateral trade reached USD 123 billion in 2024-25, reflecting the strong economic ties between the two sides and creating opportunities for enhanced cooperation in the years ahead, it said. "The next AITIGA Joint Committee meeting is scheduled for 6-7 October 2025 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, and will be hosted by Malaysia," it added. In a separate statement, the ministry said the fourth meeting of the

Akasa Air to launch direct Mumbai-Phuket flights from September 20

Akasa Air will launch direct flights connecting Mumbai with Phuket from September 20 as the three-year-old airline expands its international network with the foray into Southeast Asia. With a fleet of 30 planes, the airline currently flies to 23 domestic and 5 international destinations. Starting September 20, 2025, Akasa Air will operate daily direct flights connecting Mumbai with Phuket (Thailand), a release said on Tuesday. Phuket will be 6th overseas destination for the carrier, which started flying on August 7, 2022. Presently, the airline flies to five overseas destinations -- Doha (Qatar), Jeddah, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Kuwait City (Kuwait). Last week, the airline said it will start flights to the SAARC and ASEAN regions in the next few years, in addition to leveraging the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Noida International Airports to develop a comprehensive network. Eight countries, including India, are part of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooper

Asean team to monitor Thailand-Cambodia ceasefire after deadly clashes

Both sides have agreed to a ceasefire involving all types of weapons and any form of attacks on civilians and military objectives

Akasa Air completes 3 yrs of flying; plans flights to SAARC, Asean regions

Three-year-old Akasa Air on Thursday said it will start flights to the SAARC and ASEAN regions in the next few years, in addition to leveraging the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Noida International Airports to develop a comprehensive network. Akasa Air, which commenced operations on August 7, 2022, expects to have more than 30 planes in its fleet by the end of this year and aims for a capacity growth of over 30 per cent in terms of Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) for the current fiscal ending March 2026. Currently, the carrier has 30 aircraft. "The airline will expand its presence in key markets such as Delhi and will leverage the upcoming Navi Mumbai and Noida International Airports to build a comprehensive network. Akasa Air will expand its global footprint with a foray into new regions, including SAARC and ASEAN, over the next few years," the carrier said in a release on Thursday. Eight countries, including India, are part of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation ...

Cambodia seeks ceasefire with Thailand after clashes: All that happened

Malaysia, holding the rotating chair of Asean, offered to mediate as PM Anwar said both sides agreed in principle to withdraw troops and enforce a ceasefire, though implementation may take time

Indian mission in Thailand issues travel advisory amidst ongoing unrest

The Indian embassy in Thailand on Friday issued an advisory for its nationals in the country, urging them to avoid travelling to seven provinces amid ongoing unrest along the Thailand-Cambodia border. Clashes erupted between Thailand and Cambodia along the border between their countries on Thursday, killing at least 11 people and injuring several others, according to the state-run Thai Public Broadcasting Service. "In view of the situation near Thailand-Cambodia border, all Indian travelers to Thailand are advised to check updates from Thai official sources, including TAT Newsroom," the Indian embassy said in an X post. Attaching a post by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, it said that the places mentioned "are not recommended" for travelling. The tourism authority said that "several attractions" in Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket, Buriram, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi and Trat provinces are not recommended for visiting.

India, Asean drift apart as Trump tariffs strain trade ties and trust

Trump might be the immediate cause of this rift, but, as always, China's massive manufacturing overcapacity is at the heart of the problem

India, Asean expect 'some conclusion' in FTA review by October-end

Both sides are also discussing matters pertaining to technical cooperation, sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures and technical barriers to trade collaborations

Rubio to meet China foreign minister in Malaysia amid rising tensions

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is wrapping his up his second and final day at a Southeast Asian security conference with a high-stakes meeting with his Chinese counterpart as tensions grow between Washington and Beijing over issues from trade to security and China's support for Russia's war in Ukraine. After discussions with regional countries at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations forum in Malaysia, Rubio on Friday was close out his first official trip to Asia in his first face-to-face talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the State Department said. The meeting comes less than 24 hours after Rubio met in Kuala Lumpur with another rival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during which they discussed potential new avenues to jumpstart Ukraine peace talks. The meetings come against a backdrop of global and regional unease over US policies, notably on trade and large tariffs that US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose on friend and foe alike. While Ru

India, Asean adopt new 5-year action plan at foreign ministers' meeting

In a post on X, he described the meeting as productive, which he had co-chaired with Theresa P Lazaro of the Philippines

India must deepen ties with Asean nations, not abandon its trade agreement

Some within the government, as well as prominent voices in industry, have complained that the FTA with Asean allows for the dumping of Chinese goods in India via Southeast Asia

QUAD foreign ministers concerned about East and South China sea situation

The leaders expressed their support for ASEAN and its centrality, the Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific-led regional groupings, as well as the Indian Ocean Rim Association

India, ASEAN to develop cruise tourism in Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean

India will work with ASEAN to develop cruise tourism circuits in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean, Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Monday. Sonowal inaugurated first ever ASEAN-India Cruise Dialogue here on Monday, according to a statement. The meet hosted by India is being attended by all the member nations of ASEAN; i.e. Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam along with Timor Leste. "India plans to work with ASEAN countries to develop cruise tourism and tourism circuits in the Bay of Bengal as well as the Indian Ocean region. "An integrated cruise network linking Indian ports with ASEAN destinations supported by real-time tracking and modern terminals is being envisaged, which will be deliberated in this meet," Sonowal said. The Ports, Shipping and Waterways minister also said India plans to professionalise 5,000 km of navigable waterways to enhance cruise connectivity with ASEAN nations. The ...

Amid trade disorder, India must reconsider CPTPP, integrate with Asean, EU

While this process may take a while given the state of uncertainty and disorder that prevails in the global trade architecture, to demonstrate India's commitment to a particular direction of travel

Asean stonewalling progress of FTA review talks with India: Official

Asean nations are stonewalling the progress of the ongoing negotiations on the review of the existing free trade agreement in goods signed in 2009, and the talks are moving "very" slowly, an official said on Monday. The review of the agreement is a long-standing demand of Indian industry and India is looking forward to an upgraded pact, which will address the current asymmetries in bilateral trade and will make trade more balanced and sustainable. "So far, nine rounds of talks have been completed. They are going very slow. Very less progress is there. Asean is stonewalling the talks," the official, who did not wish to be named, said. After the implementation of the agreement, India's exports stood at only about USD 38-39 billion annually, while imports from the 10-nation Asean bloc have jumped to USD 86 billion, the official added. Asean countries have opened less number of tariff lines or product categories for India. India has offered duty concessions on over 71 per cent of the .