ASEAN serves the twin purpose of developing India's Northeast and augmenting the country's reach in the Southeast Asian region. Comment.

ASEAN, Grouping of 10 South-East Asian Countries and India's Strategic Partner in Indo-Pacific. ASEAN-Developing India's Northeast Region: 1) North-East Region of India is Landlocked and Requires Connectivity 2) Providing Connectivity: Initiatives like IMT Trilateral Highway, Kaladan Multimodal Transitway 3) Energy Transmission: Conventional Electricity Transmission and Renewable Energy Grid through Myanmar 4) Tackling Security Problem: Operation Swan in Myanmar to Eliminate Anti-India Elements 5) ASEAN acting as Trade and Transit Route to India's Northeast Region.

ASEAN: Augmenting Reach in Southeast Asian Region 1) Policy Initiatives: EG: Look East Policy Turning into Act East Policy 2) Act East Policy: 3 C's - Connectivity, Commerce, Culture - Kaladaan, IMT Trilateral, Trade Protocol, Cultural Exchange, Buddhist Diplomacy 3) Defence and Security Partnership: Asian Defence Ministers Meeting ADMM, Asian Regional Forum ARF, CIMACT 4) Commerce: Bilateral Trade to the Tune of More than 120 Billion, with Trade Deficit to India 5) Cultural Diplomacy: Project Mawem, Buddhist Diplomacy Hence, ASEAN, India's Extended Neighborhood Should be Treated with Utmost Care to Meetin the Dream of 21st Century as ASEAN Acting.

— OZARDE ABHISHEK ABHAY · AIR 336