The ASEAN was established on 8^th August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the founding fathers of ASEAN.

Indian-ASEAN areas of co-operation are:

1. Functional Co-operation: ASEAN-India functional co-operation is diverse and includes cooperation across a range of sectors, such as trade, science & technology, agriculture, environment, Human Resource development, space science, new and renewable energy, information and communication technology, telecommunications, transport and infrastructure, tourism, culture, health, and pharmaceuticals.

2. Economic Co-operation: The ASEAN- India FTA will see tariff liberalization of over 90 percent of products traded between the two dynamic regions including the so-called “special products” such as palm oil (crude and refined), coffee, black tea and pepper. Tariffs on over 4,000 product lines will be eliminated at the earliest by 2016.

ASEAN – India Trade in Goods Agreement was signed on 13^th August, 2009 at the ASEAN – India Economic Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok.

3. Peace and Security Co-operation: ASEAN and India commemorated the 20^th anniversary of dialogue level partnership and the 10^th anniversary of Summit-level partnership with a Commemorative Summit in New Delhi under the theme ASEAN – India Partnership for peace and shared prosperity in December 2012.

4. Tourism Sector: The 4^th ASEAN – India Tourism Ministers Meeting was held in Vietnam in January 2013. ASEAN-India tourism website (www. Indiaasean.org) was launched. ASEAN and India are also working on enhancing private sector engagements. Details on the reactivation of the ASEAN- India business Council (AIBC), the holding of the ASEAN-India Business Fair (AIBF) are being worked out by officials.

At the third ASEAN-India Summit, the parties concerned signed a partnership for peace, progress and shared prosperity. At the sixth Summit, India announced setting up of an India the ASEAN green fund. At seventh Summit, India announced contribution of US $ 50 million to ASEAN-India co-operation fund.

At the 11^th ASEAN – India summit, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, welcomed India’s ‘Look East’ policy and the decision to set up a separate mission for the Association of ASEAN. The past three years have witnessed remarkable progress in the implementation of the plan of Action.