India Proposes Long-Term Visas For Business And Professionals to ASEAN

NEW DELHI: India has proposed the introduction of long-term visas for smooth movement of professionals and business, liberalization of investment policies and creation of economic hubs to ensure greater connectivity and mutual prosperity between Asia's third-largest economy and the 10-member economically vibrant Association of South East Asian Nations.

India also wants more collaboration in political-security issues with its strategic partner, saying deeper engagement on maritime security would help deal with challenges of terrorism and piracy, and maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Inaugurating the Delhi Dialogue VI, the sixth edition of the annual inter-governmental conference to strengthen ASEAN-India strategic partnership, India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Thursday evening that if trade and economic linkages have to be promoted, then the first aspect to address is ease of movement for businessmen and professionals.

"Our people-to-people linkages are the bedrock of our potential for partnership. We have visas on arrival arrangements with seven of the ten ASEAN countries. I ask you, is it not time to look at long-term visas in the near term as a means to ensure that our human resource capacities are not shackled by procedural requirements? Do we not need to make it easier for our businessmen, professionals and experts to travel more easily between our countries?

"This will help India build capacities in ASEAN and also incentivize investments from the private sectors," he said as the two sides are expected to ink a free trade agreement in services and investment sometime this year.

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