04 August 2020 – Ambassador Ramon S. Bagatsing, Jr. delivered his Special Remarks during the Overseas Ambassadors and High Commissioners’ virtual platform Session on Regional Integration and Connectivity at the 1st Indo-ASEAN Oceanic Business Summit and Expo: Collaborating for Regional Economic Development which was held in New Delhi on 04 August 2020.
In his address, Ambassador Bagatsing stated that COVID-19 pandemic is pandemonium and “the here and the now gets in the way of the best laid plans.” The Ambassador stressed the three (3) Ts - Testing, Tracing, and Treatment as the most significant measures to combat the virus. The Ambassador underscored the importance of allocating the medicines and vaccine for COVID-19 that India is currently developing to ASEAN as part of its Act East Policy.The Ambassador also highlighted the significance of strengthening the Philippine-India cooperation on Pharmaceuticals and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) with the aim of making the Philippines as India’s Regional Headquarters in ASEAN. He also underscored the importance of convening the 14th Philippine-India Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment (JWGTI) meeting and concluding the Philippine-India MoUs/agreements on investment, medicine, ICT, and air services.The inaugural address was delivered by H.E. Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Housing and Urban Affairs and Civil Aviation and Minister of State for Commerce and Industry. In his speech, he said that a review of the India’s Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with ASEAN has the potential to double the bilateral trade. The e-commerce, Ntech, Artificial Intelligence and block chain have the maximum potential for collaboration.A ballooning trade deficit was one of the reasons that India exited the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement in 2019 after negotiating it for seven years. In the aviation sector, India is moving ahead with the privatization of airports and this presents a huge opportunity for countries from the Indo-ASEAN-Oceanic (IAOR) region. Opening of the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) sector also presents a major opportunity for collaboration. Also, DTI Undersecretary for Industry Development and Trade Policy Group (IDTPG) Mr. Ceferino S. Rodolfo was invited as Guest of Honor during the Inaugural Session. In his statement, the Philippines and India should take advantage of the “here and now” opportunities that can be pursued on short and immediate terms in the contexts of the Philippine-India bilateral relations, Indo-Pacific, and ASEAN-India partnership.
The Summit is a three-day event from 04 to 06 August 2020 organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). The trilateral business Summit and Expo is a first of its kind involving 15 countries from ASEAN and Oceanic Region, including India, governments, enterprises, business chambers, think-tanks, academia from all the countries in the region.The Summit is focused on Agri, Food Processing and Allied Products, Biotech, Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare, Future of Clean Energy, IT and ICT Equipment, Logistics and Supply Chain, Manufacturing Value Chains. End
