QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — To commemorate the 25 years of ASEAN-India partnership, ASEAN-India center along with ASEAN Studies Center of the New Era University, the ASEAN-India Business Council and Eagle Broadcasting Corporation organized the first ever ASEAN-India Forum.
The ASEAN-India Forum is the first in the series of gatherings and events for ambassadors from different embassies in the Philippines with their partner foundations and organization.
The forum aims to come up with a lively exchange of experience and ideas that would help further strengthen the partnership between India and the ASEAN.
It is divided into three sessions:
“Act East Policy and the Philippines
The first session focuses on the Philippines’ perspective on economic cooperation, political convergence and strategic partnership;
Trade and connectivity: Achievement and the way ahead
The second session deals about trade and connectivity aspects of ASEAN-India Relations, with particular focus on the Philippines;
Socio-cultural relations: what India-Philippines partnership can offer?
And the third and last session tackles the cultural heritage that India and the Philippines share and the way towards stronger socio-cultural relations.
According to Indian ambassador, his Excellency Jaideep Mazumdar, the forum is very timely and very significant in further strengthening the relationship and partnership between and among ASEAN member-states and India.
The ASEAN-India forum is a brainchild of Dr. Prabir De, head of the ASEAN-India Center at the research and information system for developing countries, and Dr. Carlos Tabunda, Jr., Director of New Era University’s ASEAN Studies Center.
Among the panelists in the ASEAN-India forum are former Indian Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Yogendra Kumar; President of the Philippine Council of Foreign Relations Ambassador Jose Romero Jr; Chairman of ASEAN-India Business Council Mr. Johny Chotrani; Country manager of Tata Consultancy Services Mr. Vikram Singh; Vice President of Asia Pacific Pathway to Progress Foundation Dr. Antoinette Raquiza; Chairman of Inang Lupa Foundation Dr. William Dar and a number of academicians such as Mr. Julio Amador III, the Adviser of New Era University’s ASEAN Studies Center; Dr. Aries Arugay and Professor Rowena Layador of UP-Diliman’s Political Science Department; Mr. Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy of the Institute of South Asian Studies of the National University of Singapore; and Dr. Prabir De Himself.
The organizers said, they are happy about the outcome of the forum and are looking forward to having more of this in the future.
The ASEAN-India forum is the first in a series of gatherings and events for ambassadors from different embassies in the Philippines with their partner foundations and organizations.
“The Forum” also serves as the organizers’ contribution to the Philippines’ chairmanship of ASEAN this year.
(Eagle News Service, Neah Mangawang)