ASEAN-INDIA CAR RALLY FLAG-OFF CEREMONY, SINGAPORE, 28 NOVEMBER 2012

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law K Shanmugam was Guest-of-Honour at the ASEAN-India Car Rally flag-off ceremony at the F1 Pit Building this morning. He was joined at the podium by P S Raghavan, Additional Secretary (Development, Partnership, and Administration) from India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The ASEAN-India Car Rally is a landmark event in a series of activities planned to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of ASEAN-India relations. Jointly organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Indian High Commission in Singapore (IHC) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the rally demonstrates the physical and people-to-people connectivity between ASEAN and India, and symbolises both sides’ commitment to further strengthen the relationship.

The 22 rally teams from the ten ASEAN Member States and India will traverse more than 8,000 kilometres through Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and India. The teams, comprising 124 participants, will be on the road for a total of 22 days in 31 Indian-made Mahindra XUV 500 sports utility vehicles. The rally will be officially flagged down by the Leaders of ASEAN Member States and India in New Delhi on 20 December 2012, where they will attend the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit.

An ASEAN-India Seminar on the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) and Public Private Partnerships was also held in tandem with the Car Rally on 27 November 2012 to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of ASEAN-India relations. Jointly organised by MFA, IHC, CII and the ASEAN Studies Centre of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, the Seminar canvassed discussions on ASEAN Connectivity and the MPAC, as well as the role of public private partnerships. The Seminar was attended by a range of practitioners from ASEAN Member States and India as well as Indian businesses operating in Singapore and the wider ASEAN region.