ASEAN Full Form, Association of Southeast Asian Nations

ASEAN Full Form is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is a regional organisation that provides economic, political and security cooperation along with 10 members: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The ASEAN Group has a combined GDP of $2.8 trillion. The organisation has been the support behind Asian economic integration, spearheading negotiations to form one of the biggest free trade blocs and signing six free trade agreements along with other Asian economies. 

The organisation was formed on 8 August, 1967 by five founding members namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined on January 8, 1984, followed by Vietnam on July 28, 1995, Laos and Myanmar on July 23, 1997, and Cambodia on April 30, 1999.

ASEAN Principles 

The first ASEAN Summit was signed on 24 February, 1976 by the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. It stated a few important principles that could govern the High Contracting Parties in dealing with each other: 

• All nations must respect each other’s independence, sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, and national identity
• Every state has the right to exist independently of foreign intervention, subversion, or force
• Non-interference in one another’s private lives
• Disputes or misunderstandings are resolved in a peaceful manner
• Refusal to use or threaten to use force
• They can work together effectively

ASEAN Objectives

The ASEAN Declaration lays down the following objectives: 

• Establish a peaceful and happy community for the southeast Asian nations to support regional and economic growth, social advancement and cultural improvement in collaborative activities in spirit of collaborations and equality. 
• Respecting justice and law in relationships among Southeast Asian nations by promoting regional stability and harmony. In 1995, the ASEAN Heads of State and government reaffirmed “Cooperative peace and shared prosperity be the core aim of ASEAN.” 

ASEAN-India Relationship 

India has always looked to build a strong and multi-faceted partnership with ASEAN. India was looking for an opportunity to develop economic space and hence came up with the “Look East Policy”. Over the years, the Look East Policy has evolved into an action oriented “Act East Policy”. The collaboration between ASEAN and India is extremely important for India’s Foreign Policy and the bedrock of our Act East Policy. The relationship’s upgrade to a Strategic Partnership in 2012 was a natural evolution from India’s status as an ASEAN Sectoral Partner in 1992, Dialogue Partner in 1996, and Summit Level Partner in 2002. There are 30 Dialogue Mechanisms between India and ASEAN, which cover a wide range of topics.

ASEAN-India Centre

The ASEAN-India Centre (AIC) was established following the recommendation of the Heads of Government at the 2012 Commemorative Summit to strengthen the ASEAN-India Strategic Partnership. Launched in 2013, AIC serves as a resource hub, fostering policy research, advocacy, and collaboration between India and ASEAN. It facilitates engagement through seminars, roundtables, and workshops, offering valuable insights to policymakers on implementing ASEAN-India connectivity initiatives. Additionally, AIC actively networks with public and private agencies, organizations, and think tanks across India, ASEAN, and EAS countries, ensuring access to updated information and promoting sustained collaboration in key strategic areas.

Conclusion

ASEAN is a community for maintaining peace and security. Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao DPR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam are among the ten countries that make up the organization. The peace and stability that we currently enjoy result from ASEAN’s tight political and security cooperation. Internal and intra-regional economic development is made feasible by peace and stability. As a result, economic progress and expansion mean more money in our pockets as a whole.