"This time we are emphasising more on people-to-people connectivity and more economic activity as India's engagement with ASEAN have grown by leaps and bounds," Singh said on the eve of the second edition of the ASEAN-India car rally which will be flagged off from here tomorrow.
"There is enhancement connectivity between the ASEAN nations in every way, the roads are better, the airlinks are better, the sea links are better. So much have changed. I think the gap of eight years shows how much the ancient civilisation have modernised their functional relationship.
"This time it will bring people more closer. A large number of associated events are working with the rally and this time our cooperation with ASEAN has also grown so when the rally concludes, you will find, much more movement, the students, the editors, farmers, would be on display. We are proud that government to government engagement has now become people to people relations between the nations in the 21st century," he added.
Singh said India has a five-year action plan to implement the ASEAN-India partnership for peace, progress and prosperity.
"There is a plan of action between India and ASEAN, 2010 to 2015. That is what India has committed USD 50 million for. Under that, there has been many activities. For instant, there have been meeting of the head of space agencies, there have been meeting on the Nagoya protocol for climate change, the ASEAN parliamentary delegations went to India, so well, there is so much happening right that plan is fully in action and it will go on till 2015 and we are happy at the way it is being implemented," he said. (More)