India - ASEAN Relations

India-ASEAN Relations: 1992 - 2002 assesses the evolution of the relations between India and ASEAN. Although the partnership between India and ASEAN only began to warm about two decades ago, it has been moving at quit a rapid pace since. India became a Sectoral dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992, cooperating closely with the grouping in the areas of trade, investment, tourism and science and technology. In 1995, ASEAN, realizing the growing importance of this South Asian giant, limited India to became a full dialogue partner during the fifth ASEAN Regional Forum a year later. Since 2002 India and ASEAN have participated in Summit level meeting on an annual basis.The main theme of the book is based on the successful implementation of India's 'Look East' policy and how it has shaped the country's relations with ASEAN. This policy, initiated two decades ago, marked a strategic shift in the Indian perspective towards Southeast Asian countries and beyond. The success of India's 'Look East' policy, as evidenced by intensifying political dialogue, expanding trade and steadily growing people contacts between the two regions, is because India has responded to national and regional realities.