External Affairs Minister to inaugurate Delhi Dialogue VII - 'ASEAN-India: Shaping the Post 2015 Agenda' in New Delhi on 11 March 2015

The two-day Delhi Dialogue VII on theme 'ASEAN-India: Shaping the Post 2015 Agenda' will be inaugurated by the External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi tomorrow

Delhi Dialogue is an annual Track 1.5 dialogue process for brainstorming on all aspects of the ASEAN-India relationship and aimed at further strengthening of the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership. 

The seventh edition of the Delhi Dialogue is scheduled to take place on 11 and 12 March 2015 at the Oberoi Hotel, New Delhi and IDSA respectively. Political leaders, policy makers, senior officials, diplomats, business leaders, think tanks and academics from both sides would be participating in the discussions spread over two days. 

DD VII is being hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, in partnership with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA); the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI); Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA); the Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore (ISAS); the SAEA Group Research, Singapore; the Institute of Strategic and International studies, Malaysia (ISIS); ASEAN-India Center, New Delhi; the Economic Research Institute of ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), Jakarta; the Institute of Security and International Studies, Thailand and supported by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER); the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII); The Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM); All India Association of Industries (AIAI), Mumbai; and Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Kolkata. 

The theme of this year’s conference is 'ASEAN-India: Shaping the Post 2015 Agenda'. Delhi Dialogue VII has been divided into three sessions – Inaugural, Business and Academic. The Inaugural Session will be hosted by External Affairs Minister in the evening of March 11, 2015. External Affairs Minister will deliver the Keynote Address. 

The list of the confirmed participants includes H.E. General Tanasak Patimapragon, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Thailand, H.E. Dr Hang Chuon Naron, Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Cambodia, H.E. Mr. A.M. Fachir, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, H.E. Mr U Tin Oo Lwin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Myanmar, H.E. Dr. AKP Mochtan, Deputy Secretary General, ASEAN Secretariat, H.E. Mr Yong Chanthalangsy, Director General Institute of Foreign Affairs, Laos, HE Dato Paduka Haji Erywan Bin Pehin Yusof, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei Darussalam, H.E. Dato' Ramlan Ibrahim, Deputy Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, H.E. Mr. Simon Wong, Deputy Secretary(International), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, H.E. Mr. Atty. Julito D. Vitriolo, Executive Director, Commission on Higher Education, Philippines and H.E. Mr. Hon. Ton Sinh Thanh, Ambassador of Vietnam to India. 

There will be speeches and panel discussions on 'Building Connectivity between India and ASEAN' and 'Future Direction on India-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. Under the Connectivity theme, Chief Ministers of North Eastern states have been invited to deliberate on the relevance of North East as India’s bridge to the ASEAN and its development as integral to India’s Act East Policy. We have received confirmations from Chief Ministers of Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya and Ms. Ajanta Neog, Minister for Planning and Development of Assam. 

For the first time, Delhi Dialogue VII will have a dedicated Business Session which will be held on March 11, 2015. Deputy Secretary General of ASEAN Secretariat H E. Dr AKP Mochtan will deliver the key note address at the Business Session followed by two sessions to facilitate exchange of views on the following issues: "ASEAN Economic Community: Benefits for the ASEAN and Indian Industry" with focus on ASEAN participation in Make in India and Integrating Regional Production Networks and Value Chains; and "Trade in Services as driver for future economic cooperation: Views from India & ASEAN".

The Academic Session on March 12, 2015 at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi will be conducted in four sessions on Geopolitical, Socio-Cultural, Economic Issues and The Way Forward. The deliberations among eminent persons will cover a wide range of discussions on subjects such as Maritime Security, Cyber Security, Building Knowledge Societies, Education & Skill Development including Mutual Recognition of Degrees, Strengthening Cultural Linkages and P2P contacts, Integrating Regional Production Networks and Value Chains, Infrastructure & Connectivity, Energy and The Way Forward with Future Directions for ASEAN-India relations. The focus of all these discussions will be on strengthening the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership in the long run. 

Delhi Dialogue VII will be followed by the 17th ASEAN-India Senior Officials' meeting on 14 March 2015, where ASEAN and Indian officials will deliberate on all aspects of the India- ASEAN Strategic Partnership, including follow up on the 12th ASEAN-India Summit and discussing the contours of the next Plan of Action for 2016-2021 for ASEAN-India cooperation. 

A live webcast of the proceedings of the Inaugural Session on March 11, 2015 and the four Academic sessions on March 12, 2015 will also be available. 

Courtesy: pib.nic.in