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India, Malaysia review progress on economic pact

P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE: India and Malaysia have opened a "new level of interaction" by initiating "Foreign Office consultations." The first meeting was held at Putra Jaya in Malaysia on Thursday.

The impetus to a broad-based relationship was the main focus of these talks, official sources said.

Ahmad Fuzi, Secretary General, Malaysian Foreign Ministry, and Rajiv Sikri, Secretary (East), Ministry of External Affairs, led the delegations.

The other Indian delegates included the High Commissioner to Malaysia, R. L. Narayan, Joint Secretary Biren Nanda, and Deputy High Commissioner Sanjay Panda.

The consultations acquired importance in the absence of a security dialogue. Considered, too, were the feasibility of a comprehensive economic cooperation agreement (CECA) and the scope of the first East Asia Summit (EAS) to be hosted by Malaysia in December. The EAS, mooted by the 10-member Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN), will be attended by six of its dialogue-partners as well. These include India, China and Japan.

The officials of India and Malaysia reviewed the progress of negotiations over CECA; the relevant Joint Study Group having finalised its recommendations about a "fast-track" approach.

The surge in two-way trade and New Delhi's preference for a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia for the protection of interests of India's migrant labour were also discussed.

Discussions on the EAS covered the idea of a vision statement by the 16 participants on the evolution of a regional economic community.

Also in focus was the centrality of ASEAN as the prime mover in organising the prospective summit and as the pace setter for creating any new community, officials said.

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