For Korea, ASEAN has undoubtedly been a special and valued friend.

Do not let ASEAN become a playing card for the competition among major countries.

India's engagement with the ASEAN region lies in the clarity of the principles that we share.

Our diaspora provides a platform for a stronger relationship between India and ASEAN countries.

Assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN isn't going to do anything about improving the lives of people.

The ASEAN is located at the center of the Indo-Pacific region and is critical for achieving a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.

India's difficulties in negotiating an FTA with both the ASEAN and E.U. are a reminder of the importance of multilateralism.

With South East Asian nations, ASEAN countries, with some of them, we do have defence cooperation, and we continue with them.

With ability to produce a diverse range of products, India has the potential to become the one-stop sourcing destination for brands and retailers of ASEAN nations.

My own perception is that there are two tiers of countries, one, the original ASEAN, and then the new members. The new members are in various stages of development.

These are important markers in our engagement with South East Asia, in enhancing our strategic ties with ASEAN across 3 Cs. These 3 Cs are commerce, connectivity, and culture.

I would argue that Asean has been instrumental in driving both economic growth and political development, and that there can be no clearer example than its relations with Myanmar.

We hope that through these trade arrangements, through collaboration in training, in manpower development, and what have you, ASEAN in, say, ten years' time, will be a very different ASEAN.

There was a time in the mid-1950s when the Philippines was in the same league as Japan economically and academically. Fifty years down the road, and we are almost dead last in the ASEAN region.

Our North East region will prosper when it is better connected to South East Asia, and when the North East becomes our bridge to South East Asia, we will be closer to realising our hopes for India and ASEAN ties.

We will host the Asean summit in November this year. It will be an occasion to reflect on our achievements collectively and to look at how Asean can maintain its leading role in regional and international cooperation.

When I hear people flatteringly say, 'You're an expert on East Asia...' I'm certainly an observer of East Asia, and central Asia, and ASEAN, and to a lesser extent South Asia and the Gulf, but there's always something behind the wall in China.

Asean is obviously a very important association for us. Over the past 30 years Asean has made great strides in regional cooperation covering a number of areas, although recently it has been under strain because of the financial crisis and other challenges.

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