India-ASEAN ties received a boost on Thursday with the announcement that the much-awaited ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement has been concluded. Discussions on the investment and services chapters were completed.
At the opening on Wednesday, the Prime Minister said conclusion of the FTA would boost trade and economic ties. Especially when ASEAN-India trade has gone up by ten times over the past few years. Another key issue taken up was Vietnam asking India to help settle its territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea. India has declined to play a bigger role in the South China Sea, describing it as a sovereignty issue.
