A Decade of India’s Act East Policy (AEP)
Kartavya Desk Staff
Syllabus: International Relations
Context: 2024 is the tenth anniversary year of the Act East Policy (AEP). The AEP, which replaced the Look East Policy (LEP) in 2014, has laid the foundations for India’s engagements with the East.
What is Act East Policy?
The Act East Policy (AEP) is an initiative by the Indian government, launched in 2014, to strengthen economic, strategic, and cultural ties with countries in the Indo-Pacific region, with a core focus on the ASEAN nations. It aims to enhance regional connectivity, promote economic cooperation, and develop strategic partnerships to bolster India’s influence and integration in the region. The policy evolved from the earlier Look East Policy of 1992, expanding its scope and strategic objectives.
Its key principles are-
• Develop strategic security cooperation and strategic relations in the Indo-Pacific.
• Strengthen India’s economic ties and connectivity with the region through increased trade and investment.
• Boost historical cultural ties.
• 4C’s of Act East Policy: Culture, Commerce, Connectivity and Capacity building
India- ASEAN Strategic Partnership
• In 2012, ASEAN & India became strategic partners.
• ASEAN is India’s 4th largest trading partner.
• India set up a separate Mission to ASEAN and the East Asia Summit in Jakarta in April 2015 with a dedicated Ambassador to strengthen engagement with ASEAN and ASEAN-centric processes.
India and Other Regional Partners in the East
Apart from ASEAN, India has taken other policy initiatives and collaborations in the region that involve some members of ASEAN
• Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC),
• Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC)
• Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM),
• East Asia Summit (EAS),
• ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF),
• ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting + (ADMM+) and
• Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF).
Initiatives under Act East Policy:
Category | Initiative | Description
Security Cooperation | Agreements with ASEAN | Combat transnational crime and terrorism
SAGAR | Deepen economic and security cooperation with maritime neighbors, build maritime security capabilities
India-ASEAN Agreement on Maritime Cooperation (2019) | Strengthen maritime cooperation
Joint Exercises | Malabar naval exercise, Tiger Cub air exercise
Delhi Dialogue | Annual discussions on politico-security and economic issues between ASEAN and India
Defense Exports | Supplied BrahMos missile system to the Philippines.
Economic Connectivity | Connectivity Projects | India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project
FTA Agreements | ASEAN-India FTA in Goods Agreement (2009), India-ASEAN Services and Investment FTA (2014)
Business & Innovation | ASEAN-India Start-up Festival, ASEAN-India Grassroots Innovation Forum, ASEAN India Business Council (AIBC)
Funding | ASEAN-India Cooperation Fund, ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund, ASEAN-India Green Fund
Economic Ministers’ Meetings | Foster economic collaboration, ensure sustainable benefits
IORA | Strengthen Economic Cooperation, Trade Facilitation, Investment Promotion, Social Development
Health | Supplied Covid-19 vaccines under Vaccine Maitri initiative.
Cultural Ties | Project Mausam | Rebuild maritime cultural connections with 39 countries bordering the Indian Ocean
| Restored monuments like My Son temples (Vietnam), Buddhist Pagodas in Bagan (Myanmar), Wat Phou Temple Complex (Laos), Preah Vihear temple (Cambodia).
Achievements:
• Positioned India in the Indo-Pacific: E.g., support for the Philippines on South China Sea dispute.
• Strengthened strategic partnerships: India has upgraded its relations to a strategic partnership with Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Japan, Republic of Korea (ROK), Australia and Singapore forging close ties with all countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Enhanced links with BIMSTEC and IOR.
• Greater integration of Northeastern states with ASEAN, e.g., India-Japan Act East Forum.
Challenges:
• Chinese economic influence in ASEAN.
• India’s economic under-performance, e.g., trade deficit of over $43 billion.
Conclusion
The Act East Policy lies at the heart of India’s initiatives in the Indo-Pacific which aims to strengthen economic, security and cultural ties with ASEAN and other regional partners in the Indo-Pacific.
Prelims Link:
Q.1 The term ‘Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership’ often appears in the news in the context of the affairs of a group of countries known as (UPSC 2016)
(a) G20 (b) ASEAN (c) SCO (d) SAARC
Ans: (b)
Q.2 In the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, an initiative of six countries, which of the following is/are not a participant/ participants? (UPSC 2015)
• Bangladesh
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 (c) 1 and 3 (d) 1, 2 and 5
Ans: (c)