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India’s engagement with
ASEAN as a part of her Look East Policy has progressed steadily to
an annual Summit level interaction since 2002. The leaders of
India and ASEAN countries at their Second Summit in October 2003
in Bali signed the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation that provides for a Free Trade Arrangement between
India and ASEAN to be implemented over ten years. The leaders of
ASEAN and India are clearly aiming at further deepening of
economic integration of their economies beyond the implementation
of an FTA in trade of goods and services as is clear from the
proposed adoption of a Long-term Vision 2020 paper prepared by
think-tanks led by RIS at the Laos Summit in 2004. The proposed
project aims to provide research and policy advisory services to
the concerned governments on the policy steps that need to be
taken to exploit their synergies fully. In particular, it will
advise the governments on operationalization of the Framework
Agreement and further elaboration of the Vision 2020 of the
partnership. It will also make further proposals for deepening of
the economic integration between ASEAN and India. RIS has been in
touch with ADB for raising resources for this project. RIS has
already launched studies on one aspect of the negotiations, viz.
rules of origins.
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