Only 15% of Indonesia's imports come from ASEAN countries, representing about 2% of GDP.
For sometime though the Asean countries have been split on the advisability of closer ties with India.
There is no doubt global growth will come down, but Asean countries will still be very competitive.
And you see that in the comments and the concerns that are raised by a number of ASEAN countries.
The Philippines has reduced tariffs on foreign petrochemicals to 10%, while other ASEAN countries "still have 30%, " he says.
The project was started in India but is now being piloted in Africa and some Asean countries as well, says Banavar.
We have just concluded the first ever meeting between a United States President and the leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries.
Already, 44, 000 university students from ASEAN countries study in the United States, the fourth largest source of university students studying here.
WHITEHOUSE: President Obama at Working Lunch with ASEAN leaders
In the first three years after its launch, for example, exports among ASEAN countries grew at a rate of 28% per year.
He says ASEAN countries deserve praise for cutting tariffs in a non-discriminatory way (ie, on goods produced both inside and outside ASEAN).
ECONOMIST: Vague hopes of integration and messy bilateral squabbles
It is our belief that if we want to remain relevant, it is important for us to have presence in all the Asean countries come 2015.
The ten ASEAN countries, stretching across the Indian and Pacific Oceans, have a population of over 600 million and combined are the third largest economy in Asia.
Subsequently, in Jakarta, the four Cambodian factions, the Vietnamese, the ASEAN countries and France are to meet on the issue, along with Australia and New Zealand as observers.
CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Giving Peace A Chance In Cambodia: A Primer For US Policy
Nearly 3, 400 American university students are studying in ASEAN countries.
WHITEHOUSE: President Obama at Working Lunch with ASEAN leaders
Why do you think -- and you all deal in ASEAN countries, as well as China -- why do you think that has happened, specifically with the ASEAN nations?
Asean countries and China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand have also launched negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade pact, which seeks to strengthen regional trade.
Mr. Wahid says he is targeting presence in all Asean countries by 2015 to be able to take advantage of the region, which combined make the second largest economic block in Asia after China.
"China will seize this opportunity of making joint efforts with ASEAN countries to maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea and bring benefits to people in the region, " said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin.
BBC: China morning round-up: Inflation and economy discussed
What's worth flagging about the meetings this year is that the Eminent Persons Group, a small group of distinguished Americans and representatives from each of the 10 ASEAN countries, have been working throughout the year since they were convoked in Bali to develop some recommendations to the leaders -- a report that ought to be coming out shortly.
Just one brief word on Southeast Asia -- as Ben mentioned, the President will have the first meeting ever with the ASEAN 10 countries.
The US also led the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations which currently involve four countries from Asean - Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Representatives of African countries, ASEAN, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of American States pleaded for debt relief and efforts to narrow the "digital divide" -- the fast-growing gap between nations with access to information technology and those starved of IT.
Yesterday, May 9, representatives of Japan, China, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, India, and the ten countries of ASEAN convened in Brunei for the inaugural negotiation of what is hoped will become by 2015 the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade agreement.
And the formation of such regional cooperation such that is East Asia Summit, where there are 10 countries from ASEAN and there is also China, Republic of Korea, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand, and now Russia and the United States, therefore, I have faith that it will be more effective to ensure peace, stability and order in this region.
WHITEHOUSE: President Obama and President Yudhoyono Press Availability | The White House
Meanwhile, the old guard should accelerate the induction of senior officials from the new countries into the ASEAN culture.
But in 2013, continued weakness in southern Europe will weigh on China even as trade increases with countries in the ASEAN bloc and with Brazil.
However, the king, who is in the Chinese capital Beijing for medical treatment, said he was willing to meet envoys from ASEAN and the three other countries later in Beijing this week in a renewed effort to halt the crisis in Cambodia.
Defense forces from all of ASEAN, along with eight other countries that include the United States and China, would hold for the first time three-day disaster response drills in Brunei in June to foster confidence among the multinational troops, the draft summit statement said.
We welcomed increasing regional cooperation under the U.S.-Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI) in the areas of energy security, health, agriculture and food security, education, connectivity, environment and water, which significantly contributes to quality of life and capacity building among the Lower Mekong Basin countries, and supports ASEAN's aim of narrowing the development gap among its Member States and addressing the common challenges.
WHITEHOUSE: Joint Statement of the 4th ASEAN-U.S. Leaders' Meeting
Additionally, from February 26th to the 28th, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers are discussing the support their countries can give.
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