Rajnath urges ASEAN, International Community to support India’s fight against terrorists

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on February 22, 2019, urged the ASEAN nations and the International Community to support India’s fight against terrorists and terrorist organisations. Delivering the valedictory address at the 4^th India-ASEAN Expo & Summit here, he said an environment of peace and security are prerequisites for trade and commerce to flourish. “This Summit must acknowledge the fact and ensure that the soil of any country should not be used for propagating terrorism,” Rajnath said.

Condemning the gruesome cowardly terrorist attack in Pulwama on February 14, 2019, on India’s brave security forces, Rajnath said that there exists immense potential to strengthen and deepen cooperation in combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations through information sharing, law enforcement cooperation, capacity building and Anti-money laundering and countering terror-financing.

Recalling the Delhi Declaration of the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit, which marked the 25^th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations, where it was agreed to deepen cooperation in combating terrorism in all its forms, the Home Minister said the 13^th East Asia Summit (EAS) in November, 2018, in Singapore, also adopted the EAS Statement on Foreign Terrorist Fighters and Returnees and hoped that the cooperation between the member states will move beyond statements and towards more practical cooperation.

Speaking on the trade potential between India and the ASEAN, Rajnath said that more than half of India’s foreign trade now goes to the East. He called for increased people-to-people contact, connectivity and trade ties with the ASEAN nations. “Strengthening India’s economic relations with the countries in the East is one of the main objectives of India’s ‘Act East Policy’,” said Rajnath. “Our engagement with ASEAN has acquired a new dimension with our Prime Minister’s vision to ‘Act East’,” he added.

Rajnath underlined that trade and investment is a key aspect of India-ASEAN partnership. “Over the past decade, trade and investment relations between India and ASEAN have continued to improve. Total bilateral trade has increased more than threefold from US$21 billion in 2005-06 to US$ 81.33 billion in 2017-18.  ASEAN has emerged as the second largest trade partner of India in 2017-18, with a share of 10.58% in India’s overall trade.”

“ While we have made some progress in implementing the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway, the possible extension of the Trilateral Highway to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, needs to be pushed. ASEAN and India are also working on Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project which will provide an alternative route through Myanmar for the transportation of goods to the northeast region of India,” Rajnath added.

“The North East being the major land bridge to ASEAN nations, enhanced connectivity will also ensure the economic integration and development of North East region of India. India and Myanmar are also in the process of setting up Border Haats at their respective borders to facilitate trade and people-to-people connect.  The ICP (Integrated Check-Post) at Moreh has also been opened in January, 2019,” he said, according to a PIB release.