| Lance Thoo in New Delhi |
IT IS of paramount importance Asean and India continue striving jointly to ensure their respective waters remain secure and safe so that trade and commerce between them remain unimpeded.
This was stated by Dato Paduka Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, during a panel discussion on ‘Water of Asia: Cultural, Social and Political Ties’ held on the sidelines of the 9th Delhi Dialogue at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, India, recently.
“One part of achieving this is through aligning our practice and conduct with the principles of international law. At the same time, we should continue to place greater emphasis on joint efforts to address transnational maritime security challenges,” the deputy minister said.
“By ensuring continued peace and stability across our region, we provide the situation for both Asean and India to prosper and develop. This is of critical importance to guarantee that we continue to develop in this 21st Century,” he added.
“Fast forward to the present and now we have seen how the Asean-India partnership has developed over the past 25 years of cooperation and over the last five years as strategic partners.
“In our work together we still attach great importance to water, the waterways, the oceans that link them for the mutual benefit of our people.
“It is estimated that over $5 trillion worth of goods are transported in the seas of our region, including more than half of the planet’s annual merchant cargo.
“With this in mind, it is clear that the waterways between India and Asean remain greatly important to our people and even the world at large.”
On this note, the deputy minister expressed his satisfaction that efforts are being made to enhance connectivity, be it land, sea or air.
Dato Paduka Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, speaking during a panel discussion on ‘Water of Asia: Cultural, Social and Political Ties’ held on the sidelines of the 9th Delhi Dialogue at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi, India
Dato Paduka Awang Haji Erywan bin Pehin Datu Pekerma Jaya Haji Mohd Yusof, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in a group photo with other members of the panel. – PHOTOS: LANCE THOO
Waterways
Touching on the importance of waterways, he said, “As we look back across the history, we see water and waterways in Asia and across the world play a vital role in the rise of many civilisations.”
He noted that among such examples include the ancient Egypt having the Nile and the Indian civilisation the Ganges.
“All these civilisations recognised the importance of water with some even viewing it as sacred. In our region, waterways were a major source of livelihood because they provided food and irrigation for agriculture activities.
“More importantly, it also provided a means to conduct trade. Rivers served as the highways in historical times, where transportation of goods with boats and barges was able to move larger loads than what could be on land.”
The deputy minister also noted that maritime travel across the seas brought about unprecedented people-to-people contacts and sharing of cultures, language, knowledge and traditions.
“Because of this, there are many examples of celebrated historical links, particularly in India and Southeast Asia,” he said, citing examples of the presence of Hinduism in various temples, the imprint of Indian culture, the historical empires in the region as well as the strong trade routes that were pioneered by the ancient spice merchants from India.
Touching on the relationship between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and India, the deputy minister said it is built upon ancient cultural ties and civilisational linkages.
This relationship spans not just the last 25 years, where the two regions have had partnership cooperation, but interestingly several millennia even before history was ever written.
“This relationship doesn’t just cover religion and culture, but also political aspects,” he said, adding that “where there is money there is always business and there will always be people to go to that place”.
According to him, this is the reason why the culture of the two regions (India and Asean) has been so closely linked because they have done a lot of trade in history.
India’s role
Highlighting India’s recent emergence as a powerful economy, the deputy minister said, “India is on the crux of a great advancement. It is enjoying rapid economic progress driven by a large population of young and educated individuals and supported by encouraging economic reforms.
“It is predicted to rise above or up to the ranks of the world’s largest economies and become an emerging global leader in the next few years.
“Asean as a close friend and partner stands ready to work with India to help it realise its exciting future, which will be good for the entire region.
“One way we can do this is by expanding the benefits that can be achieved under our current Asean-India Free Trade Agreement in order to build towards the trade target of around $200 billion by 2022.
“Another opportunity is where India can take a more prominent role to ensure a swift conclusion on the negotiation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This is the next stage of our economic integration process. When concluded, I believe the RCEP will be worth almost 30 per cent of the global GDP and bring benefit to almost half the world population, but more importantly to those in Asean and India.”
According to the deputy minister, Asean looks forward to working with India in achieving these objectives. “We see India also taking great leadership in other regional and global initiatives such as addressing the global climate change, responding to disaster management and supporting a global multilateral aiding system.
“We have seen the rise of tiger. We have seen the rise of the Asian dragons. I believe this is the time for the rise of the Indian naga,” he said.
“With the long historical ties of India with Asean member states, we very much look forward to working with India for the continued development and contribute to the rise of Asia and achieve what is the so-called ‘Asian Century’.”
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