New Delhi [India], June 20 : Former Union Commerce & Industry Minister of India, Anand Sharma, on Friday said in a statement that the statement by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on "belittling India ASEAN Trade Agreements is unwarranted, ill-advised and unfortunate."
Anand Sharma believes that both India and ASEAN has been together for three decades engaged in a multifaceted relationship which is mutually rewarding and important.
ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a regional bloc of ten Southeast Asian countries. Formed in 1967, its primary goals are to foster economic growth, social progress, and cultural development, while also promoting regional peace and stability.
He further believes that this relationship is important for "Look East policy to deepen and diversify India's relations with a region that is economically vibrant and of enormous geo-strategic importance for engagement with the Asia-Pacific region."
"Piyush Goyal's statement terming the Trade agreement with ASEAN as silly and labelling these counties as B team of China is irresponsible and insulting. He has forgotten, that President of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto was the chief guest for 2025 Republic Day Parade," Anand Sharma said.
The former Union Minster in his statement also emphasized that, "trade in goods with ASEAN counties also includes essential imports: Iron ore and Coal from Indonesia, Palm oil from Malaysia and Indonesia, Oil - Petroleum products from Brunei Dares Salam and Malaysia and pulses from Mayanmar."
"It needs mention that ASEAN is India's 4th largest trading partner accounting for over 11% of India's total global trade with bilateral trade at 120billion USD and accounts for over 11% of India's Exports. FDI inflows from ASEAN to India account for over 18% of total FDI inflows since 2000," he further added.
Talking about the Commerce Minister, he also said that, "Commerce Minister should be prioritising strengthening trade relations with partner countries and not insulting them while bending backwards to negotiate a suboptimal trade agreement with USA on its terms."
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