Look East

Keystone of Indias Look East policy has been the countrys engagement with ASEAN countries.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived at tiny Brunei Wednesday evening to give further impetus to the Look East policy and attend the Eighth East Asian Summit and the Eleventh ASEAN-India Summit. As heads of nations gather in one of the smallest countries in the world for the East Asia Summit,the two-day forum has gained international attention as much by US President Barack Obamas absence as by the magnified presence of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

The keystone of Indias Look East policy has been the countrys intense engagement with ASEAN countries. While an FTA (free trade agreement) in goods and services awaits legal scrubbing by India and the ASEAN bloc,the government expects implementation of the deal by July 2013. To engage more intensely with ASEAN countries,Singh will announce the setting up of an ASEAN mission in Jakarta,complete with a separate ambassador. Bilateral trade between India and ASEAN has jumped five times during the last 10 years to $76 billion. It is expected to touch $100 billion by 2015 and $200 billion by 2022.

Uranium on agenda

One of the first bilateral meetings India secured ahead of East Asia and ASEAN summits is a meeting with the new Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Sources said uranium supplies to India ranked very high in the present calculation about the future relationship with Australia. India has already held two rounds of exchanges with Australia on the issue and it is learnt the new Abbott government was happy to schedule the next round of interaction earlier. India will be the first non-signatory to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to which Australia will supply uranium once the two countries reach an agreement.

US loss,Chinas gain

The budget logjam forced Obama to skip the APEC meeting in Bali and the ASEAN and East Asia summits in Brunei. This only accentuated Chinese President Xi Jinpings presence at Bali. All eyes are on Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Brunei as Russian President Vladimir Putin also stays away. Li pledged to work for good neighbourly relations with Asian countries. Referring to the territorial disputes many ASEAN countries have with China,Li said his government was committed to the path of peaceful development,but underscored the importance of freedom of navigation on the South China sea.

Indias China battles

Singh’s scheduled visit to China next month will hope to make further progress on the boundary issue,establishing riparian rights over Brahmaputra and addressing the huge trade deficit India suffers. We have made considerable progress on big issues. But we need to put in place procedures where differences of perception continue to exist, said sources. Beijing and New Delhi acknowledge the need for peace at the border,but both need to have a framework of boundary settlement. The other worry for India relates to Chinas plans to dam the Brahmaputra at the upper end what is frustrating policymakers is the countrys own inability to move ahead on power projects in Arunachal Pradesh to establish lower riparian rights due to huge internal resistance.

Restoring Nalandas glory

India looks forward to signing an arrangement to reinforce the international character of Nalanda University in Bihar through intense inter-governmental cooperation. The Nalanda University structuring plan has made considerable progress, sources said. While China and Australia have committed $1 million each,Singapore has chipped in with $5-6 million,sources said. Under the proposed arrangement,India will propose to induct five representatives from East Asian countries on the governing board of Nalanda. The key is to get them fully involved and look at regaining the glory the place enjoyed during the 5th-13th century, sources said. The Summit will see the signing of a framework agreement towards this end.