RIS has launched an India-ASEAN Forum to facilitate a brainstorming on different facets of India-ASEAN partnership on a regular basis. The Forum has been set up in response to a long felt desire of individuals concerned with the India-ASEAN relations to have a forum for dialogue and consultations on a regular and continuous basis. The first brainstorming session of India-ASEAN Forum was organized on the theme of India-ASEAN Vision 2020 in RIS on July 18, 2003. Ambassador S.T. Devare, Vice-Chairman, RIS chaired the meeting which was attended by a large number of participants from government, business, industry, academic and diplomatic circles.

In his initial remarks Dr. Nagesh Kumar, Director-General, RIS said that RIS has been assisting India-ASEAN dialogue over the past years with the India-ASEAN Eminent Persons Lecture Series and with a series of studies and policy proposals prepared for the policy makers. RIS also brought out a volume India-ASEAN Partnership in an Era of Globalization based on the Reflections of the Eminent Persons. RIS has also been mandated by the Government of India to prepare a paper on India-ASEAN Vision 2020 in consultation with the ASEAN think tanks. This paper is expected to layout a long-term vision and a road map for evolving India-ASEAN partnership. Ambassador A.N. Ram, former Secretary (ER), Ministry of External Affairs and Mr. Rajiv Sikri, Additional Secretary (ER), Ministry of External Affairs also made introductory remarks.

The following presentations were made at the Meeting of the Forum: Trade and Investment by Dr. Nagesh Kumar; Monetary and Financial Cooperation by Mr. S.K. Mohanty; Development of Transport links and Infrastructure Development by Mr. Prabir De; Cooperation in the field of Energy by Dr. Barnali Nag; and i) Human Resource Development, ii) Science and Technology, iii) Tourism and Culture by Mr. S.K. Mohanty. Thereafter open discussion took place on the issues raised in these presentations.