New Delhi: A major step in strengthening economic cooperation between ASEAN and India was taken from July 29 to August 1, 2024, during the 5th AITIGA Joint Committee and related sessions for revision of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) were conducted in the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Ms. Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, Deputy Secretary General (Trade), Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry, Malaysia, and Shri Rajesh Agrawal, Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, India, co-chaired the meeting. The summit was attended by delegates from India and all ten ASEAN nations.
After agreed on its terms of reference and negotiating structure, the AITIGA Joint Committee and its Sub-Committees began negotiations in February 2024. The AITIGA Joint Committee had commenced discussions for a review of AITIGA in May 2023.
The first two rounds of talks were place in Putrajaya, Malaysia in May 2024 and New Delhi in February 2024. All eight Sub-Committees pertaining to National Treatment and Market Access, Rules of Origin, Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures, Sanitary and Phytosanitary, Legal and Institutional Issues, Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation, Trade Remedies, and Economic and Technical Cooperation met alongside the 5th AITIGA JC during the third round of negotiations in Jakarta, Indonesia.
During these meaningful discussions, substantial progress was made during this round of negotiations. After reporting their findings to the 5th AITIGA JC, each Sub-Committee received additional direction for their next work.
To establish a shared understanding of the topics being considered at the AITIGA review, the head Indian delegation held bilateral discussions with his colleagues from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Vietnam on the fringes of the 5th AITIGA JC conference. Separate talks were also held to talk about the potential for improving India-ASEAN economic cooperation through the revision of AITIGA with ASEAN Secretary General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn and ASEAN Deputy Secretary General Mr. Satvinder Singh.
On July 31, 2024, an Indian delegation engaged with Indian firms in Jakarta during a dinner hosted by the Indian Embassy in Jakarta. The mission heard about the industry’s experiences and their hopes for the AITIGA review.
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5th meeting of ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement Joint Committee held in Jakarta