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Taking `Look East' further

President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has completed a productive three-country tour in nine days, sharpening India's focus on a dynamic region in pursuance of the `Look East' policy initiated by Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. The choice of Singapore, the Philippines, and South Korea was significant in several ways. The city state is a tried and tested friend in the east. The Philippines remains an acquaintance with whom ties need to be strengthened. South Korea has emerged as one of India's major economic partners. Science, technology, trade, investments, education, and development were on President Kalam's agenda for the visit. The frequency of high level visits between India and Singapore in recent years speaks to the strong partnership the two countries have forged. Education is a new and promising area in which substantive exchanges are taking place, and proposals to let the Indian Institute of Management and the Indian Institute of Science set up shop in Singapore are under consideration. However, this was the first time a President of India visited Seoul. As for the Philippines, the last presidential visit, by R. Venkataraman, happened 15 years ago. It is surprising that this major South-East Asian country has not been on New Delhi's radar screen all these years, even though India has, from 1997, worked pro-actively with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

In both the Philippines and South Korea, Mr. Kalam was accorded the privilege of addressing the national Assemblies. In Manila, it is still the initial phase of building awareness of India and its advanced capabilities and potential. But in Seoul, it is quite a different story. South Korea has emerged as a leading investor in India and bilateral trade has grown to $7 billion. In a businesslike exercise, a Joint Study Group has made impressive progress on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement the two countries are to sign in 2007. This has the potential to take the thriving bilateral relationship to an altogether new level. Given the scope for cooperation in key sectors such as IT, defence, space, and conventional manufacturing industries, the opportunities for joint ventures, investments, and trade can hardly be overestimated. In his personal discussions with the Presidents and leaders of these countries, Mr. Kalam has focussed on key areas. The message he seems to have brought back from his eastern tour is that the countries of that region want India and China to play a lead role in the evolution of a `New Asia.' There has long been this concern in East and South East Asia that the two Asian economic giants must look at synergy and cooperation, rather than give any scope for dissonance. Security remains a major issue. Southeast Asia continues to look to opportunities India and China present for enabling the region's economies to fully recover from the East Asian meltdown.

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