Round The World

New Delhi, 21 September 2010

President’s Laos-Cambodia Visit

EXPANDING RELATIONS IN E-ASIA

By Monish Tourangbam,

Research Scholar, School of International Studies (JNU)

Despite the low attention span that countries like Laos and Cambodia have in the mainstream media, President Pratibha Patil’s recent visit to these South East Asian countries demands serious notice in the context of India’s long term vision towards East Asia. The visit was made at the invitation of Laos President Choummaly Sayasone and Cambodia’s King Norodom Sihamoni.

India has maintained the dynamics of relations with major East Asian economies like South Korea and Japan with enlarging areas of maneouverability. The ties with these countries are now entering strategic dimensions with increasing defence relations and serious negotiations underway for groundbreaking civilian nuclear cooperation with both countries. Thus, President Patil’s visits to Laos and Cambodia are further vindication of New Delhi’s intent to seriously expanding the horizons of its ‘Look East Policy’, albeit in cooperative ways that augurs a win-win situation for all parties involved.

As a rising power in the region with increasing influence in important areas of global power structure, New Delhi has been intent on increasing its zone of influence. The trajectory of India's diplomacy in recent years has given ample examples of its inherent need and ambition to channelize regular and effective diplomatic relations with different countries.

During her Laos visit, the President had detailed discussions with her Laotian counterpart President Sayasone who had paid a State Visit to India in August 2008 as well as with PM Bouasone Bouphavanh and the President of Laos’s National Assembly. The Laotian establishment made known its appreciation for New Delhi's continued assistance and support for its developmental efforts through loans and assistance in the field of human resource development, hydro-power and irrigation schemes in particular.

According to sources, Laos’s National Assembly has already approved the India-ASEAN Agreement on Trade in Goods with only some administrative formalities remaining prior to its notification. As Country Coordinator for India from 2003-06 in ASEAN, Laos had played a pro-active and supportive role for enhancing India's profile in the region. While in Capital city Vientiane, a Cultural Exchange Agreement for 2011-13 was signed as also a pact for a new Government of India Credit Line of US $ 72.55 million to finance two power projects.

Agreements between the newly set-up Indian Chamber in Laos (INCHAM) with each of the India’s three leading Chambers of Commerce (FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM) were also signed. President Sayasone and the President Patil participated in a virtual inauguration of the 115 KV Paksong-Jiangxi-Bangyo transmission line project in Champassak province, where the Indian Government had provided a Line of Credit for US$ 18 million.

In Cambodia, the President held talks with Cambodian King Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Sen (he had visited India in 2007) and the Presidents of the Senate and National Assembly. The Cambodian Government appreciated India’s developmental assistance and discussed new areas of cooperation. The Cambodian Prime Minister mentioned oil and gas, mineral extraction, agriculture and tourism as future areas for bilateral cooperation. The Cambodian King accepted an invitation to visit India, the details of which are to be worked out.

A MoU for cooperation between the Indian Comptroller and Auditor General and the National Audit Authority of Cambodia was signed. A US$15 million Credit Line Agreement between EXIM Bank and the Cambodian Government was initialed for Phase II of the Stung Tassal Water Development Project.

Also, a financial grant of US$ 246,000 for upgradation of the Cambodia-India Friendship School was announced. President Patil attended the India-Cambodia Business meeting in Capital Phnom Penh and performed the ground-breaking and foundation stone laying ceremony of the Asian Traditional Textiles Museum being set up under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Programme.

It is worthwhile recalling that Cambodia played a vital role as the host and ASEAN Chair in 2002 for the first ASEAN-India Summit. And is currently the Coordinator for India-ASEAN inter-action and will again hold the ASEAN Chair in 2012 when India will host the Commemorative India-ASEAN Summit.

Reflecting on her successful visit to these South East Asian countries eager to be linked with India, President Patil underscored the importance for more people-to-people contacts and the need of Indian companies and business organizations to explore possibilities so as to increase trade and investment levels.

Recent rough patches noticed in Sino-Indian relations are symptomatic of the point that despite the relative ease in ties, the two countries will always encounter sour notes owning to competition and contentious issues. The latest diplomatic spat between New Delhi and Beijing came in the form of the Chinese Government refusing to provide visa to Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Jaswal (supposed to visit China on a defence exchange programme) on the grounds that his jurisdiction included J&K State. Hence, indirectly reiterating China’s ambivalence towards the Kashmir issue and its tilt toward Pakistan. The denial of visa on the flimsy ground that Jaswal was in command of J&K certainly disappointed New Delhi.

Undoubtedly, it augurs well for India’s strategic interest to develop areas of convergences with countries in China’s vicinity. The best strategy is to maintain regular channels of reciprocal high-level visits and try to find areas where India’s expertise and knowledge could help or where we can work with these countries to achieve common goals.

Importantly, President Patil’s high-profile visits to Laos and Cambodia are indeed salient to India’s core interests in East Asia. In whichever area New Delhi is in a position to assist these countries, India should show its intent to help and assist without strings attached. Such ventures would go a long way in creating inter-linkages of socio-economic importance and goodwill which would translate into support for India’s voice in issues of regional and global ramifications.

It is obvious that New Delhi’s increasing engagement with countries like Laos and Cambodia are components of its long term vision towards greater say in the regional and global arena. Of late, India has increasingly voiced its aspirations for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and has been lobbying for the same. As such, garnering support for UN Reform and particularly India’s membership in the exclusive Security Council is a permanent fixture of our foreign policy at all major bilateral visits and multilateral summits.

Therefore seen in this context, the Presidential visit to these two South East Asian countries assumes importance and the unconditional support both Laos and Cambodia have given to India’s candidature for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council should be regarded as a welcome step. Every brick counts in building New Delhi’s case, keeping in mind its increasing economic clout and influence in world politics.

There is no gainsaying, in international relations, a rising power needs to be recognized as such by others, especially by countries in its region. Hence, India’s policy of extending its zone of influence, albeit through diplomacy and tact should remain top priority in our foreign policy-making. ---- INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)