1. The concept of an East Asia Grouping was first promoted in 1991 by then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad. After considerable internal discussions, the 10th ASEAN Summit held in Vientiane on November 29, 2004 agreed to hold the first East Asia Summit (EAS) in Malaysia in 2005. The Summit also tasked the ASEAN Foreign Ministers to work out the details regarding modalities and participation. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers agreed that the first EAS would involve ASEAN, + 3 countries (China, Japan and ROK) as well as countries that fulfill the following criteria: Substantive relations with ASEAN, Full Dialogue Partner status and Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC)
2. The ASEAN Ministerial Meeting (AMM) held in Vientiane on July 26, 2005 welcomed the participation of ASEAN, Japan, ROK, Australia, India and New Zealand in the first EAS.
3. Four East Asia Summits have been held so far; the first East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur on 14 December, 2005; the second East Asia Summit was held in Cebu (Philippines) on 15 January, 2007, the third was held in Singapore on 21 November, 2007 and the fourth in Chaam Hua Hin, Thailand on 25 October, 2009.
4. The First Summit adopted a Declaration that outlines the objectives and modalities of the EAS. This, inter alia, states that the efforts of the East Asia Summit to promote community building will form an integral part of the regional architecture. The statement refers to the EAS focusing on economic interaction and trade & investment expansion and liberalization.
5. Energy was the main focus of the second East Asia Summit. Leaders signed the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security. Leaders also decided to initiate concrete projects in five priority EAS cooperation areas before 3rd EAS. They are Energy, Finance, Education, Avian Influenza and Disaster Mitigation. The Summit welcomed, among others, initiatives such as the revival of the Nalanda University in India to improve regional understanding and the appreciation of one another's heritage and history. The Leaders agreed to launch a Track Two study on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia (CEPEA) among EAS participants and welcomed Japan’s proposal for an Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). They also agreed to forge closer coordination among the national emergency response and management mechanisms for natural disaster mitigation.
6. The Third East Asia Summit focused on the issues of Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Sustainable Development. The centerpiece of the EAS Meeting was adoption of the “Singapore Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and Environment”. The Declaration calls for mobilizing financial support, capacity building, development of clean technologies, exchange of scientific and technical expertise, joint studies, promotion of public awareness and development of policy measures.
7. The Fourth East Asia Summit deliberated on the Global Economic and Financial Crisis, Education and Disaster Management, among other issues. The 4th EAS agreed to take a calibrated step-by-step approach on the issue of rolling back the Stimulus-packages by Asian nations. It adopted Chaam Hua Hin Statement on Disaster Management. A Joint Press Statement on the Revival of Nalanda University to express political support to India’s effort to revive the Nalanda University located in the State of Bihar was also issued. Expansion of EAS - Admission of US & Russia
8. The 43rd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in July, 2010 recommended entry of US and Russia to the EAS for consideration at the 5th EAS scheduled to be held in October, 2010. India welcomed the proposed entry of both the countries. Accordingly, the Secretary of State of U.S and the Foreign Minister of Russia have been invited to attend the 5th EAS in Hanoi, Vietnam as ‘Guest of the host’ with formal entry scheduled for 2011.
India’s Approach to the EAS 9.Prime Minister, in his remarks, at the first EAS Summit said that the long-term goal of the EAS should be the creation of a harmonious and prosperous community of nations that would pool its common resources to tackle common challenges. He also pointed out that a virtual Asian Economic Community was emerging with the wide-ranging FTAs that linked the countries of the region. He said that, rather than a set of sub-optimal arrangements, there was need for a wider perspective so that ongoing processes could become building blocks for a larger vision. In this context, he suggested that a Pan-Asian FTA could be the starting block for a community. Prime Minister also said that the EAS needed to go for deeper economic integration where markets became common and there was free flow of goods, services, investment, ideas, technology and people between the countries. At the 1st EAS emphasis was on economic cooperation.
Initiatives under EAS – Nalanda University
10. The proposal to revive the Nalanda University as an international University was proposed under the aegis of the East Asia Summit (EAS). At the 4th EAS Summit held in Thailand in October 2009, the EAS member countries issued a Joint Press Statement on the Revival of Nalanda University. They supported the establishment of the Nalanda University as a non-state, non-profit, secular and self governing international institution with a continental focus that will bring together the brightest and the most dedicated students from all countries of Asia – irrespective of gender, caste, creed, disability, ethnicity or social-economic background – to enable them to acquire liberal and human education and to give them the means needed for pursuit of intellectual, philosophical, historical and spiritual studies and thus achieve qualities of tolerance and accommodation.
11. The Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) was constituted under the Chairmanship of Prof. Amartya Sen for the establishment of the Nalanda University. The Nalanda Mentor Group, consisting of eminent personalities and academics was mandated to examine all aspects, including the academic and administrative structure, that would facilitate the revival of Nalanda as a centre of excellence in Asia. The NMG held six meetings: Singapore (July 2007); Tokyo (December 2007); New York (May 2008); New Delhi (August 2008); an on-site meeting in Nalanda/Gaya in February 2009 and New Delhi (August 2010).
12. Incorporating the suggestions and recommendations of the NMG, the Government of India drafted the Nalanda University Bill 2010 to establish the University in the Indian State of Bihar. The Bill was unanimously passed in the Parliament and is now the Nalanda University Act.
13. As envisaged in the Act, the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) shall exercise powers as the Interim Governing Board for a period of one year or till such time that the members of the Governing Board have been nominated, whichever is earlier. 14. A Vice Chancellor designate has been appointed and is entrusted with the task of operationalizing the project offices in Delhi and Bihar and initiate further steps towards the establishment of the University. The State Government of Bihar has already acquired and transferred 446 acres of land in Rajgir (in the vicinity of the original Nalanda University site) and is planning to pursue upgradation of infrastructure around the proposed site.
15. At the EAS Mnisterial Meeting in July 2010, India apprised the members of the progress of the Nalanda University project and conveyed that India was looking forward to specific commitments and support from the member-countries for the project. It is envisaged that the Governing Board of the proposed university shall have five members amongst the member-States.
5th East Asia Summit
16. The 5th East Asia Summit would deliberate on the global and regional issues of importance including the fragile global economic recovery and review on going cooperation in areas such as Energy, Environment, climate change and sustainable development, Financial Cooperation, Natural Disaster Mitigation, Education and Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia (CEPEA). The Prime Minister would take this opportunity to brief the Summit on our thinking on these issues and on the developments in the Nalanda University Project. The leaders would also exchange views on regional and international issues and on the future cooperation in EAS. The Summit would adopt the ‘Hanoi Declaration on the Commemoration of the Fifth Anniversary of the East Asia Summit’.
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