India-ASEAN Dialog To Strengthen Ties

New Delhi, March 6, IRNA -- Ways to further strengthen ties between India and ASEAN countries, particularly to link northeastern states with emerging markets of the key grouping, will be discussed at a two-day annual event beginning here today. Ministers and government representatives from ASEAN nations, think tanks, academicians and opinion makers of ASEAN countries and their Indian counterparts will deliberate on how to further strengthen Indiaˈs strategic partnership with the grouping at the Delhi Dialogue VI. Delhi Dialog VI is the sixth edition of the annual ASEAN-India dialogue. Trade between India and ASEAN countries was about USD 76 billion in 2012-13. Both the sides aim to increase it to USD 100 billion by 2015. The theme of the two-day event is ˈRealising the ASEAN-India Vision for Partnership and Prosperityˈ. External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session tomorrow. There will be a session on ˈRole of North East India in Indiaˈs Look-East Policy.ˈ For the first time, Chief Ministers of north eastern states have been invited for the event./end