India-Asean ties: Malaysia backs swift trade pact with New Delhi; calls partnership a ‘force for stability’
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday said that Asean’s partnership with India continues to be a “force for stability and mutual prosperity”, as both sides push to finalise the Asean–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) by the end of this year.Speaking at the India–Asean annual summit in Kuala Lumpur, Anwar said there had been “some real progress” in revising the trade pact, adding that member nations were keen to conclude it soon, according to news agency PTI.The meeting was attended virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who reaffirmed India’s strong commitment to Asean’s central role in the Indo-Pacific region.India is one of the grouping’s key dialogue partners alongside the United States, China, Japan and AustraliaIn his virtual address, PM Modi described the India–Asean Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as an emerging foundation for global stability and development amid current global uncertainties.“Even in this era of uncertainties, the India–Asean Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has continued to make steady progress,” PM Modi said. “Our strong partnership is becoming a solid foundation for global stability and development”, he added.PM Modi reaffirmed New Delhi’s full support for “Asean centrality” and its outlook on the Indo-Pacific, stressing that India and Asean were “companions in the Global South”, bound not just by geography but also by deep historical and cultural ties.Announcing 2026 as the ‘Asean–India Year of Maritime Cooperation’, PM Modi said both sides were expanding their work together in maritime security, humanitarian assistance, and the blue economy. “India has stood firmly with its Asean friends in every crisis,” he noted.The prime minister also highlighted growing collaboration in education, tourism, science and technology, health, green energy and cybersecurity, saying that both sides would continue to preserve shared cultural heritage and strengthen people-to-people connections.PM Modi welcomed Timor-Leste as Asean’s newest member and praised the summit’s theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, saying it was reflected in joint initiatives promoting digital inclusion, food security and resilient supply chains.Asean is among the most influential regional blocs, and India’s partnership with it has deepened steadily over three decades. The relationship began as a sectoral dialogue in 1992, progressed to a full dialogue in 1995, reached the summit level in 2002, and was elevated to a strategic partnership in 2012.The current Comprehensive Strategic Partnership focuses on expanding cooperation in trade, investment, defence and security, areas where both sides have seen steady growth in recent years.PM Modi expressed optimism that the Asean Community Vision 2045 and India’s Viksit Bharat 2047 goals would together shape “a bright future for all of humanity”.“The 21st century is our century — the century of India and Asean. India is committed to working shoulder-to-shoulder with Asean in this direction”, he said.
