Asean and India: 25 years and beyond

WHILE we commemorate 25 years of Asean-India relations, India's ties with Southeast Asia date back more than 2,000 years. Ancient trade between India and countries such as Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand is well-documented. South-east Asian cultures, traditions and languages have been profoundly influenced by these early linkages. We see Indic- Hindu-Buddhist influences in historical sites such as the Angkor Temple complex near Siem Reap in Cambodia, the Borobudur and Prambanan temples near Yogyakarta in Indonesia, and the ancient candis in Kedah in Malaysia.

The Ramayana is embedded in many Southeast Asian cultures, including in Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. Singapore's Malay name is Singapura, derived from Sanskrit and meaning "Lion City".

Singapore has always advocated India's inclusion in the Asean Community. India became an Asean Sectoral Dialogue Partner in 1992, a full Asean Dialogue Partner in 1995, and participated in the East Asia Summits (EAS) from 2005. The EAS is a key component of an open, inclusive and robust regional architecture, and the region's main strategic Leaders-led forum.