The ASEAN – India Commemorative Summit was an international meeting which India hosted to mark the 20th anniversary of the ASEAN – India dialogue relations and 10-years of its summit level partnership. The summit was held from 20 to 21 December 2012 in New Delhi, India.[1][2] The India-ASEAN relationship was elevated to a "strategic" partnership at the 2012 meeting.[3][4]
To commemorate 20 years of relationship between ASEAN and India, India hosted the ASEAN–India Commemorative Summit on the theme "ASEAN-India Partnership for Peace and Shared Prosperity" in New Delhi on December 20–21, 2012.[5][6] The commemorative summit included the Plenary Session on 20 December and Ceremonial Flag-down of the ASEAN-India Car Rally on 21 December. The commemorative summit was attended by the Heads of States of the 10 ASEAN countries and Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.[7]
A series of flagship events, meetings and workshops were organised through the year 2012. Part of these flagship events included the 2nd ASEAN-India Car Rally and the ASEAN expedition of the sail training ship INS Sudarshini of the Indian Navy.[8][9]
The 2nd edition of the ASEAN-India Car Rally was flagged-off from Yogyakarta, Indonesia on November 26, 2012.[10][11] There was also a ceremonial flag-off in Singapore. The rally passed through 8 ASEAN countries (except Brunei and the Philippines) covering a distance of around 8000 km over 22 days and was flagged down in Guwahati on December 17, 2012.[12] 500 took part in this rally covering about 8000 km through 8 Asian countries.[13][14]
The Car Rally was ceremonially flagged down by the Prime Minister of India and Leaders of ASEAN in New Delhi on December 21, 2012, during the ASEAN–India Commemorative Summit.[15]
"Marker" events, including business seminars, tourism road-shows, cultural performances, etc. were organized along the route of the Car Rally by Indian Missions, CII, Ministry of Tourism and ICCR. The business events include: Seminars on 'Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and Public-Private Partnerships' in Singapore on November 27, 2012;[16] 'India-ASEAN Connectivity: The opportunities in infrastructure' in Malaysia on November 29, 2012, 'ASEAN-India Connectivity: Promoting Business Linkages between ASEAN and India's North-East' in Bangkok on December 3, 2012;[17] 'ASEAN - India : IT & ITES' at Ho Chi Minh City on November 6, 2012; a Round Table on Small and Medium Enterprise in Phnom Penh on December 7, 2012, and a Seminar on 'ASEAN – India Connectivity : A Successful Border Trade' in Mandalay on December 13, 2012.
Dignitaries from India who participated at the various events associated with the car rally include: Shri Sathyanarayana Sarvey, Hon'ble Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways (in Malaysia); Shri Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam (in Ho chi Minh city); Shri O.Ibobi Singh, Chief Minister of Manipur (in Manipur); Shri Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam and Smt.D.Purandeswari, Minister of State (Commerce & Industry) at the flag down of the car rally in Guwahati.[18]
During this expedition, several business events were organised including: Seminar on 'ASEAN-India FTA' in Indonesia followed by B2B Meeting on October 24, 2012; 'India-Indonesia Business Seminar for Progress & Prosperity' organized at the Bali Chamber of Commerce & Industry followed by B2B Meeting on October 29, 2012;[23] 'Academic Seminar on India & Indonesia–Shared History & Culture and Opportunities for deepening People–to–People Contacts' organized at Udayana University on October 30,
2012 [24] and B2B Meeting between Manado Chamber of Commerce (Kadin Manado) and delegation of Indian businessmen led by FICCI, preceded by a half-day IT-ITeS Seminar at Sam Ratulangi University on November 12, 2012; a Seminar on 'India-ASEAN FTA' organized in association with ICC, Kolkata. Philippine Chamber of Commerce and India-Philippine Business Council on December 14, 2012, in Manila. Other events included, Seminar on 'India-ASEAN FTA' in Vietnam followed by B2B Meeting on January 2, 2013; Seminar on 'India - ASEAN FTA' followed by B2B meeting in Bangkok on January 18, 2013, Seminar on 'India – Singapore Partnership: Ports, Logistics & related Maritime Domain' in association with FICCI in Singapore in February 2013; Seminar on 'Trade and Investment Forum – India-Malaysia Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement: the Next Steps' in Malaysia on February 16, 2013, followed by a B2B Meeting; Seminar on 'India-ASEAN FTA' at Sittwe organized in association with ICC, Kolkata followed by a B2B Meeting in March 2013.
