ABSTRACT
Regionalism is a relatively new aspect of Asia’s rise. Emerging Asian regionalism is good for individual economies, good for the region, and good for the world. During the post-Cold War period, India’s Look East and Thailand’s Look West policies have led to closer relations and cooperation between Thailand and India in all areas under regional and sub-regional cooperation frameworks, namely, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-India, Bengal Initiative for Multisectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC). At the 13th ASEAN-India Summit, prime minister and ASEAN leaders reviewed ASEAN-India cooperation and discussed its future directions. BIMSTEC focuses on trade and investment, technology, transport and communication, energy, tourism and fisheries. The MGC brings together Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. Both the Mekong and the Ganga are civilizational rivers and the MGC initiative is indicative of shared cultural linkages among the member countries.
