What is Indian Look East Policy

The international system becomes conscious of striving for a new security structure in the world, moving away from archaic Cold War paradigms. The modern states are engaged in a process of dialogue and discussion with their friends and partners to help shape a new security environment free of confrontation and strain. India's security cooperation with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can also include this theme. The nature of the global village has made it necessary to tackle even non-military issues of security in a comprehensive manner in general and those of the region of South and Southeast Asia in particular. India-ASEAN convergence of security interest is not only of great strategic importance for the Southeast Asian region but also for Asian security as a whole. This chapter attempts to view ASEAN-Indian security relations from the perspective of India's ‘Look East Policy' and ASEAN's Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) for regional peace and stability. The present chapter outlines three looming aspects which shaped the outlook for India-ASEAN current security relations: a) complex geo-strategic and security interdependence in the case of conventional security; b) securitisation of non-conventional security threats through institutional mechanisms; c) cooperative security imperative for ‘Greater Asian' security through multilateral engagement. By highlighting current security challenges, this chapter also attempts to look at the possible policy approaches that India and ASEAN may have to adopt so that their security cooperation is not merely sustained but also evolves further into a credible pillar of regional security engagement within the Asian setting.