For long, India hardly regarded the countries of Southeast Asia and South Pacific as priority areas despite the latter’s cultural, political, economic and strategic significance. The long spell of mutual alienation understandably gave way to mutual distrust and suspicion. This dark period in India’s relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and South Pacific was, however, brought to an end following the reshaping and reorientation of India’s Foreign Policy, manifest in the vigorous pursuit of ‘Look East’ policy since the last decade of the previous century. While the realization that the idea of looking towards the east is as important as that of looking towards the west dawned on Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the latter half of 1980s, it was Prime Minister Narasimha Rao who concentrated on forging links and enhancing cultural, economic, political and strategic cooperation with Southeast Asia and transformed this important urge into India’s foreign policy initiative that culminated in ‘Look East’ Policy. Positive factors such as the pursuit of ASEAN and Australia’s ‘Look West’ Policy coinciding with the adoption of ‘Look East’ policy by India, had already registered impressive progress in the field of economy, strategy and cultural relations between India and ASEAN. Against this background, the Centre for Studies on Indochina and South Pacific held a three day international seminar drawing reputed academics and policy makers from India and abroad. These leading specialists critically examined the fruitful synergy in the relations between India and the countries of Southeast Asia and South Pacific.
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