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India to seek Malaysia's support (r)



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                    India to seek Malaysia?s support

The Times of India (New Delhi)
May 14, 2001

KUALA LUMPUR: India will be making another strong bid for the membership
of ASEAN, the 10-nation South-East Asian economic grouping which now
stands extended to India?s eastern borders via Myanmar.

During Prime Minister Vajpayee?s four-day visit here, which began on
Sunday, the focus as the PM indicated in his departure statement in
Delhi, would be on economic and commercial ties with Malaysia and
through it with ASEAN.

?My visit is a continuation of our policy of strengthening our relations
with ASEAN countries,? Vajpayee said.

While India?s attempt at ASEAN membership has not succeeded for almost a
decade now, New Delhi has been accommodated as a ?full dialogue partner?
of ASEAN and a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which
deliberates on strategic and defence issues.

India has also bee keen on establishing a mechanism for ASEAN-India
summit on the lines of ASEAN?s top-level dialogue with some other
important Asian countries.
China, South Korea and Japan have set up top-level interaction with
ASEAN under the ?ASEAN-plus-three? mechanism. But India?s attempt for a
summit meeting with ASEAN has met with little success so far because of
lack of enthusiasm by Malaysia.

Malaysia happens to be the ?coordinating country? for India?s dealing
with ASEAN, a position it will enjoy till June 2002. Malaysia?s support
thus becomes crucial for India advancing in the direction of a
membership of ASEAN which has been one of the world?s most successful
grouping and has contributed greatly to each member country?s rapic
development.

During Vajpayee?s visit here, India would seek to ?win over? Malaysia by
pledging to use the country as India?s gateway to Asean, Simulaneously,
India is projecting itself as a fast-reforming yet stable emerging
economy. In this year?s budge, for instance, the government of India has
made a firm commitment to lower import duties to ASEAN levels in three
years in a show of its interest to integrate its economy with the free
trade economies of the region.

The Prime Minister and the high-level official delegation, along with a
70-member team of Indian business leaders, will be making a strong pitch
for higher trade, investment, R&D and tourism linkage with Malaysia.
Seven government-to-government agreements are expected to be signed in
varying fields, including a voidance of double taxation, cooperation
between stock market regulators and tie-up between space agencies, In
addition, the business delegation has lined up at least 10 business MoUs
to be signed during the visit.

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<center><b><font color="#000099"><font size=+2>India to seek Malaysia?s
support</font></font></b></center>

<p><i><font color="#CC0000">The Times of India (New Delhi)</font></i>
<br><i><font color="#CC0000">May 14, 2001</font></i>
<p>KUALA LUMPUR: India will be making another strong bid for the membership
of ASEAN, the 10-nation South-East Asian economic grouping which now stands
extended to India?s eastern borders via Myanmar.
<p>During Prime Minister Vajpayee?s four-day visit here, which began on
Sunday, the focus as the PM indicated in his departure statement in Delhi,
would be on economic and commercial ties with Malaysia and through it with
ASEAN.
<p>?My visit is a continuation of our policy of strengthening our relations
with ASEAN countries,? Vajpayee said.
<p>While India?s attempt at ASEAN membership has not succeeded for almost
a decade now, New Delhi has been accommodated as a ?full dialogue partner?
of ASEAN and a member of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), which deliberates
on strategic and defence issues.
<p>India has also bee keen on establishing a mechanism for ASEAN-India
summit on the lines of ASEAN?s top-level dialogue with some other important
Asian countries.
<br>China, South Korea and Japan have set up top-level interaction with
ASEAN under the ?ASEAN-plus-three? mechanism. But India?s attempt for a
summit meeting with ASEAN has met with little success so far because of
lack of enthusiasm by Malaysia.
<p>Malaysia happens to be the ?coordinating country? for India?s dealing
with ASEAN, a position it will enjoy till June 2002. Malaysia?s support
thus becomes crucial for India advancing in the direction of a membership
of ASEAN which has been one of the world?s most successful grouping and
has contributed greatly to each member country?s rapic development.
<p>During Vajpayee?s visit here, India would seek to ?win over? Malaysia
by pledging to use the country as India?s gateway to Asean, Simulaneously,
India is projecting itself as a fast-reforming yet stable emerging economy.
In this year?s budge, for instance, the government of India has made a
firm commitment to lower import duties to ASEAN levels in three years in
a show of its interest to integrate its economy with the free trade economies
of the region.
<p>The Prime Minister and the high-level official delegation, along with
a 70-member team of Indian business leaders, will be making a strong pitch
for higher trade, investment, R&amp;D and tourism linkage with Malaysia.
Seven government-to-government agreements are expected to be signed in
varying fields, including a voidance of double taxation, cooperation between
stock market regulators and tie-up between space agencies, In addition,
the business delegation has lined up at least 10 business MoUs to be signed
during the visit.</html>

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