Kuala Lumpur – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered his key-note address at the India-ASEAN Summit today. Here are some of the highlights of his speech:
Narendra Modi delivering his key-note address today at the ASEAN Summit…
- Prime Minister (Najib), thank you for hosting this Summit. I convey our deepest appreciation for the excellent arrangements and hospitality; and, for your leadership of ASEAN and East Asia Summit.
- Rising from a double tragedy, Malaysia has demonstrated its resilience and resolve.
- Kuala Lumpur is a symbol of Asian resurgence and of the region’s promising future.
- I am delighted to return for my second ASEAN-India Summit. At the last Summit at Nay Pyi Taw, I saw the strength of our relationship and the potential of our partnership; and, even more important, the commitment and confidence that you showed for the India-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.
- In this difficult moment, India and ASEAN are two bright spots of optimism.
- India is today the fastest growing major economy in the world. The growth rate is touching 5 %, and is likely to go higher. Our inflation is down as also our fiscal and external deficits. And, business and international confidence has increased sharply. The scale of transformation in India is vast; so, the size of economic opportunities in India are huge.
- We now have environment that is open and welcoming. This is reflected in the sharp jump in India’s ranking in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business. And, we will continue with our reforms with speed and boldness.
I am pleased that after a temporary decline, our trade increased to about 5 billion U.S. dollars in 2014-15; and, so has investment in both directions. ASEAN remains the largest investment partner – both for inward and outward flows.- Connectivity is the pathway to shared prosperity. The Trilateral Highway project is making good progress and should be completed by
- We also propose to commit a Line of Credit of 0 billion U.S. dollars to promote projects that support physical and digital connectivity between India and ASEAN.
- As in the past, we place special emphasis on our partnership with Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.
- Our partnership with them in capacity building projects will expand. In addition, we intend to create a Project Development Fund to develop manufacturing hubs in CLMV countries.
- We will enlarge the ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund from the current one million U.S. dollars to 5 million U.S. dollars.
- We also intend to set up an ASEAN-India Innovation Platform to facilitate commercialization of low cost technologies, technology transfer and collaborative R&D projects.
- Our cooperative project in Space, to be located in Vietnam, is now making concrete progress. I assure you of its early completion.
- India also offers ASEAN our indigenously developed GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation or GAGAN services, which provides advanced navigation and location assistance and information facilities.
- An issue of global concern is climate change. India has ambitious clean energy plans: 175 GW of additional capacity of renewable energy by 2022; and, 40% of energy through non-fossil fuel by
- We would also be happy to offer over 100 training slots in renewable energy in our institutions.
- I have also proposed an international solar alliance of 122 solar-rich countries, which French President Hollande and I will launch in Paris on November We look forward to your participation in the launch and the alliance.
- I deeply value our collective efforts to revive the cultural pillar of our relations. An international conference on ASEAN-India Cultural Links was held in New Delhi in July. We are proposing to open an ASEAN Studies Centre in our North-Eastern Hill University in Shillong, which is our Gateway to the East.
- India will soon extend electronic-visa facility to all 10 ASEAN countries.
- India shares with ASEAN a commitment to freedom of navigation, over flight and unimpeded commerce, in accordance with accepted principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Territorial disputes must be settled through peaceful means.
- India hopes that all parties to the disputes in the South China Sea will abide by the guidelines on the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and redouble efforts for early adoption of a Code of Conduct on the basis of consensus.
- We should evolve specific plans of cooperation in maritime security, counter-piracy and humanitarian and disaster relief.
- We should see how we can enhance our cooperation at the regional and international level, including through support for adoption of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
- India attaches the highest priority to this partnership. In recognition of that, we have opened a permanent mission to ASEAN in Jakarta.
