ASEAN-India Centre
June 21, 2013
- The ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) was inaugurated by the External Affairs Minister Shri Salman Khurshid on Friday, June 21, 2013 at Magnolia Hall, India Habitat Centre. The Centre has been established in fulfilment of the direction given by ASEAN Leaders and Prime Minister of India in the ASEAN-India Vision Statement, adopted at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit on December 20, 2012. It is being set up under the guidance of Chairman, RIS & former Foreign Secretary ShriShyam Saran.
- The establishment of the ASEAN India Centre was also one of the recommendations of the ASEAN-India Eminent Persons Group to further strengthen the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership. The 15th ASEAN-India Senior Officials Meeting in New Delhi on February 21, 2013 had discussed the modalities of establishing the ASEAN-India Centre using existing capacities.
- ASEAN Heads of Missions in New Delhi, members of the strategic community, think tanks, media representatives, members of the ASEAN Missions in New Delhi and senior Government of India officials participated in the inauguration.
- The AIC would work to strengthen India's cooperation with ASEAN in its realization of the ASEAN Community by 2015, comprising the three pillars: ASEAN Political Security Community; the ASEAN Economic Community; and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. The AIC would serve as a resource centre for ASEAN Member States and India to fill the knowledge gaps that currently limit the opportunities for cooperation. The AIC would also undertake regular networking activities with relevant organizations and think tanks in India and ASEAN Member States, with the aim of providing up-to-date information, data resources and sustained interaction to promote the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership. The AIC would assist in the implementation of the ASEAN-India connectivity agenda, apart from promoting ASEAN-India cooperation in the interlinked areas of water, energy, food security etc.
- The AIC would maintain a website in support of its efforts to further the ASEAN India strategic partnership.
June 21, 2013
New Delhi