ASEAN (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: The Prime Minister of India has recently said that Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is an “important pillar” of India’s Act East policy during 20th ASEAN-India and 18th East Asia summit.

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN):

• Established: In 1967, by the Bangkok Declaration.
• Type:  A political and economic union of 10 member statesin Southeast Asia.
• Members: Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Thailand, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
• Objective: It promotes inter-governmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and socio-cultural integration between its members and countries in the Asia-Pacific.
• Secretariat: Jakarta, Indonesia.

East Asia Summit:

• Initiated in: 2005, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Objective: It is as a premier Leaders-led forum for dialogue and cooperation on broad strategic, political, and economic issues of common interest and concern with the aim of promoting peace, stability, and economic prosperity in Indo-Pacific region.
• Members: 18 members, the ten ASEAN Plus Six mechanism (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea) along with, Russia and the United States, both were added in 6th summit, 2011.