Vietnam among pillars of India’s “Look East” policy

[Viet]

Vietnam among pillars of India’s “Look East” policy

• 
  
  • Updated : 11/16/2013 8:00:00 PM
  • source: Voice of Vietnam

Vietnam has become a pillar of India’s “Look East” policy, according to Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid.

The minister granted an interview to Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reporters on the occasion of the upcoming visit to India by the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong from November 19 – 22.

He stressed India’s belief that the visit will mark a turning point in the two countries’ strategic partnership, which was built by late President Ho Chi Minh and late Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and treasured by following leaders and the two peoples.

In recent years bilateral ties have recorded positive developments in depth, he noted.

The minister said both sides have made important progress in the five cooperation pillars of politics, defence and security; economics and trade; science and technology; culture and technique; and regional and multilateral issues, which were set in their statement of strategic partnership establishment.

He added that India and Vietnam have also implemented a number of significant initiatives in each field, affirming that their cooperation relations have become stronger than ever.

VN Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong (R) welcomes newly-accredited Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Shrimati Preeti Saran.

Minister Salman Khurshid said there remains potential for both countries to expand their ties. This year, two-way trade has rose 40 percent, he said, expressing his belief that the figure will hit US$ 7 billion in 2015.

Indian investment in the Southeast Asian country has surged, and many Indian enterprises are willing to run their businesses in Vietnam.

The minister deemed science and technology, information technology, biotechnology, agriculture, space and the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as areas that need special attention.

He also said the planned establishment of a Vietnam - India direct flight route will create a major driving force to their businesses, tourism and exchange activities.

Vietnam and India established their diplomatic ties in 1972 and elevated their relations to a strategic partnership in 2007.

Vietnam among pillars of India’s “Look East” policy | VOV Online Newspaper

 

[GR!FF!N]

Actually,3 countries,which will shape our Look East Policy.these are Vietnam,Singapore and Japan.along with these countries,Australia,Indonesia,Mayanmar,Thailand,Philippines,Malaysia and South Korea will help us to spread our influence in this region...some of these countries are members of some forums like BIMSTEC.we're actually waiting for Mekong-Ganga Corporation to become more strong and flourish more...



read this....

Now, India eyeing Mekong-India Economic Corridor | Business Standard


As part of the government’s 'Look-East Policy' and its economic integration with the Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN) countries, India is now taking the initiative of promoting India-Mekong Economic Cooperation. Both sides are also planning for aMekong-India Economic Corridor which will form an integral part of the India-ASEAN connectivity.

India had been working upon the idea to promote Mekong-Ganga Cooperation which includes India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for a very long time. It was originally decided as part of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral, Technical, and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) initiative in 2004.

However, it seems the idea is now gaining some traction as India prepares to sign the much-awaited free trade agreement on services and investment with ASEAN in December, which will then become India-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

The Mekong-India Economic Corridor (MIEC) will be a network of land and sea infrastructure and the proposal is currently being studied by ministry of external affairs (MEA). The basis of this corridor will be the larger India-ASEAN connectivity plans. It envisages the linking of vibrant emerging economies in the ASEAN region with India.

Minister of external affairs Salman Khurshid will also be addressing a seminar on this jointly organized by the Confederation of Indian industry (CII) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) on November 19. It will also be addressed by department of economic affairs secretary Arvind Mayaram, Vietnamese trade minister Nguyen Cam Tu, Pan Sorasak, secretary of state, commerce ministry of Cambodia and Yoshiro Kosaka, Head World Customs Organisation (APAC) among others.

The Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) includes India, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam for cooperation in trade, tourism, culture, education, as well as transport and communication.

The prospect of further liberalization between ASEAN and major regional economies, including India , was aided by the agreement in November 2012, to begin negotiations in 2013, on a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). The recent political reform process in Myanmar, a key bridge between the regions—now makes possible, land connectivity between South and Southeast Asia, which was not feasible a few years ago, according to a study done by CII.

Trade between India and ASEAN have risen by nearly 10 times in last 11 years to $76 billion in 2012-2013, surpassing the set target of $70 billion. India and ASEAN has a combined population 1.8 billion. It is expected that bilateral trade will reach $100 billion by 2015 with the implementation of India-ASEAN CEPA in July 2015.

Mekong-India connectivity is currently being addressed as part of the Asian Highway Network and Trans-Asian Railways being promoted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).


Along with this,Trilateral Highway will give us much needed road link...

India, Thailand hopeful of trilateral highway by 2016 - The Hindu

An ambitious project to develop a 3,200-km highway linking India, Myanmar and Thailand was an important item on the agenda of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit here.

On Thursday, Dr. Singh and his Thai counterpart Yingluck Shinawatra expressed the hope that the highway would be ready by 2016.

India has already given Myanmar $500 million in loan, a part of which will be used to fund the project.

A joint statement issued at the end of the talks between the Prime Ministers said India welcomed Thailand’s proposal to host the next India–Myanmar–Thailand Joint Task Force Meeting on the Trilateral Highway Project, and the second meeting of the Thailand-India Joint Working Group on Connectivity and Infrastructure in June-July 2013.

It said Thailand proposed to host the third India-Myanmar-Thailand Ministerial Meeting on Transport Linkages to address issues of infrastructure so as to maximise the use of the highway for strengthening regional growth and integration.

At the delegation-level talks, Thailand informed India of the progress Thailand and Myanmar had made in the development of the Dawei Special Economic Zone in southern Myanmar. Once operational, the project would further enhance connectivity and open enormous business opportunities for the region.

Thailand invited Indian businesses to invest in the Dawei Special Economic Zone, especially in steel, manufacturing, power, petrochemicals and services.

The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to carry through the talks for a Thailand-India Free Trade Agreement.


also,read this....


India, Myanmar, Thailand trilateral highway may start soon


New Delhi: The proposed highway covering India, Myanmar and Thailand is expected to be operational soon, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said on Tuesday.

The highway will help in smoother and faster movement of goods between these regions.

"We are presently working with the governments of Myanmar and Thailand to develop the trilateral highway which hopefully will be completed soon," Sharma said here at a CII function.

The idea of the highway - from Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand, via Myanmar - was conceived at the trilateral ministerial meeting on transport linkages in Yangon in April 2002. It represents a significant step in establishing connectivity between India and South East Asian countries.

Myanmar is source of one-third of India's imports in pulses and one-fifth in timber.

Emphasising on the need to enhance road, air and sea connectivity, Sharma said that India is also working to develop the Kaladan multi-modal transport corridor which comprises waterway and roadway.

Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project will connect the eastern Indian seaport of Kolkata with Sittwe port in Myanmar by sea; it will then link Sittwe to Mizoram via river and road transport.

Sharma said the project and the transport corridor will connect these countries (Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Mayanmar) with the North-Eastern part of India.

The government is also looking at connecting India and Myanmar through a sea link, he added.

He said: "Connectivity by air, road and sea in important. We have entire north east India which is progressing but still lagging behind the rest of the country because of geography, constraints of infrastructure."

Sharma was speaking at the CII's Business Conclave of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Mayanmar.

Further, the minister said that trade between India and the four South East Asian nations is "well below potential". The two-way commerce between India and these nations stood at USD 8.5 billion in 2012-13.

"We need to do more. We have to look at not only increasing economic relation but deepening and diversifying the priority sectors which hold potential like IT, agri, healthcare, oil and gas and textile," he said.

Speaking on the occasion, representatives of these four countries sought investments from India in sectors like IT, infrastructure, energy, power and agro processing.

"We have opened our doors for India. We welcome you," Cambodian Secretary of State, Ministry of Planning, Hou Taing Eng said.

India main exports to these countries include pharma, machinery, vehicles, plastics and cotton while imports are pulses, rubber, wood, mineral oil and spices.

 

[eazzy]

Boring.

 

[GR!FF!N]

Boring.

Google Sora Aoi then....

 

[Hafizzz]

Google Sora Aoi then....

Google Priya Rai or Sunny Leone