7th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting

Context

Recently, the 7th ASEAN-India Ministerial Meeting (AIMMAF) on Agriculture and Forestry was held virtually.

The 7th ASEAN-India Ministerial meeting also welcomed the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-India relations.

India reiterated its vision of keeping the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the center of India’s Act East Policy.
It also emphasized mutually close regional cooperation with ASEAN to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth for agricultural development in the region.
India also urged the ASEAN member countries to support its efforts in increasing the production, processing, value addition and consumption of millets.

This was highlighted while referring to the importance of millet (nutritional-cereals) as a nutritious food and the international nutritional-cereal year 2023.
Nutritious cereals help in the creation of nutritious, with low resource requirements and more efficient agri-food systems.

The progress in implementation of various programs and activities under the Medium Term Action Plan of ASEAN-India Cooperation (Year 2021-2025) was reviewed.
In the meeting, the commitment to ASEAN-India cooperation in agriculture and forestry was reaffirmed.
It was also agreed to take continuous measures under ASEAN-India cooperation for the implementation of post-pandemic recovery.

Seamless flow of safe and nutritious agricultural products to ASEAN and India in order to mitigate the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

India said it is committed to enhance its cooperation with ASEAN in food security, nutrition, climate change adaptation, digital farming, nature-friendly agriculture, food processing, value chain, agricultural marketing and capacity building.

ASEAN is India’s fourth largest trading partner.
The ASEAN-India Free Trade Area has been completed.
ASEAN India-Business Council (AIBC) was set up in 2003 to bring key private sector players from India and the ASEAN countries on a single platform.
Financial assistance has been provided to ASEAN countries from the following Funds:

Delhi Declaration identifies cooperation in the Maritime Domain.
Delhi Dialogue: Annual dialogue for discussing politico-security and economic issues between ASEAN and India.
ASEAN-India Centre (AIC): To undertake policy research, advocacy and networking activities with organizations and think-tanks in India and ASEAN.
Political Security Cooperation: India places ASEAN at the centre of its Indo-Pacific vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region.

It is a regional grouping that promotes economic, political, and security cooperation.
It was established in August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the founding fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Its chairmanship rotates annually, based on the alphabetical order of the English names of Member States.
ASEAN countries have a total population of 650 million people and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of USD 2.8 trillion.
Commodity trade between India and ASEAN region has reached 98.39 billion in the period April 2021- February 2022.