Modi & Ibrahim focus on Asean-India FTA review
The PM congratulated Malaysia for its successful stewardship of Asean and welcomed its continued support for a strengthened Asean-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including early and successful completion of Asean-India FTA review, according to an official statement issued by India after the meeting on Sunday (Brazil time).
It is interesting to note that the early and successful completion of the review of Asean-India FTA figured at the PM-level talks amid discomfort in the Asean in the backdrop of Union minister Piyush Goyal recent comments describing Asean states as a "B Team" of China.
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Last month, at a scheduled India-Asean meeting in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian co-chair had put out a strongly worded message in response to the minister's comments, ET had reported. The occasion was Asean-India trade in goods agreement review.
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The FTA, signed in 2009, is undergoing a review to address trade imbalances and other concerns. India is seeking a more balanced and sustainable trade relationship with Asean. Modi and Ibrahim discussed a proposal to establish IIT in Malaysia, as per a Malaysian readout.
Modi also met Vietnamese PM Pham Minh Chinh in Rio. The Secretary General of the Asean nation proposes to visit India later this year. Both Malaysia and Vietnam are BRICS partners.
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