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Modi invites ASEAN to invest in India

PM Narendra Modi meets Myanmar’s opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday. PTI

NayPyiTaw, November 12
Asserting that India and ASEAN have “no irritants” in their ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited the 10-nation bloc to be part of his country’s “new” economic journey even as his strong “Make in India” pitch got the support of the grouping.

The PM in his interaction in Hindi at the round table said a “new era” of economic development, industrialisation and trade has begun in India. The rapidly developing country (India) and ASEAN can be ‘great partners’ for each other, he said.

Noting that India’s ‘Look East’ policy has become ‘Act East’ policy, Modi assured ASEAN leaders that he will give his “sustained personal” attention to India’s relations with the regional bloc.

“We have embarked on a new economic journey in India, we invite you to this new environment in India,” Modi said. ASEAN plans to become one economic community by the end of next year.

Modi’s comments came at a time when India seeks to deepen its engagement with the bloc of 10 small and medium economies.

“We have no irritants in our relationship. We see encouraging opportunities and challenges in the world in similar ways,” he said. At the same time, Modi said the potential for India-ASEAN ties is much higher than where they are at the moment.

Currently, India-ASEAN trade is around $ 76 billion which is just 3% of the total ASEAN trade. They have set a target of $ 100 billion for bilateral trade by 2015.

Modi noted that both India and ASEAN are keen to enhance their cooperation in advancing balance, peace and stability in the region.

“My government has been in office for six months and the intensity and momentum with which we have enhanced our engagement in the East, is a reflection of the priority that we give to this region,” the prime minister said at the summit held at the sprawling Myanmar International Convention Centre on the second day of his 10-day three-nation tour of Myanmar, Australia and Fiji.

Modi said in this age more than physical connectivity there was need for information highways or i-ways. He met the ASEAN leaders for separate bilateral meetings. — PTI

Obama calls Modi a ‘man of action’

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a brief interaction with Barack Obama during which the US President called him a "man of action"
• “Prez Obama greets PM @narendramodi at Gala dinner - 'You are a man of action!,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted after the dinner
• Modi and Obama met each other for the second time in six weeks at a gala dinner in Myanmar capital

PM’s Instagram debut

• Modi, known for his social media prowess, on Wednesday made his debut on Instagram, sharing a picture from the venue of the ASEAN and East Asia summits
• "Hello World! Great being on Instagram. My first photo ...this one from the ASEAN Summit, @Nay Pyi Taw," Modi said in a post on his Twitter account.