ASEAN and India have agreed to enhance their relations by further promoting existing sectors and increasing people-to-people relationships in trade and other potential areas.

At the 19th ASEAN-India Summit on November 12, Prime Minister Hun Sen said that over the past three decades, ASEAN and India have made steady progress. Despite challenges, they have become important socio-economic partners.

He added as a result of this development, ASEAN-India cooperation has thrived and has a broader base.

“We have the commitment and resolve to strengthen our partnership so that ASEAN-India can have a closer relationship and a higher capacity to ensure peace and prosperity to our respective peoples, both now and in the future,” he continued.

Jagdeep Dhankhar, vice-president of India, co-chaired the opening of the 19th ASEAN-India Summit. The summit marked the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership.

At the summit, the leaders of ASEAN and India discussed their relationship and agreed to further enhance it by promoting existing sectors, in addition to focusing on people-people relationships through trade and other potential areas.

ASEAN-India dialogue relations have grown rapidly from a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992 to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995. The relationship was further elevated with the convening of the ASEAN- India Summit in 2002 in Phnom Penh. Since then, the summit has been held annually.