As I mentioned on Wednesday, I just returned from a trip to India where I attended a three-day brainstorming meeting of about 25 academics, ambassadors, former politicians and so on from different 16 Asian countries.
The Manipal Dialogue meeting on Asia’s future was titled “Asia Uninterrupted” and was jointly organized by Gateway House: Indian Council on Global Relations and Manipal University.
Let me start with the discussion questions of the Manipal Dialogue. Within Asia, unresolved borders are the remnants of colonialism and these have led to many intra-regional disputes. How can trade agreements work within these frameworks and, if possible, change the dynamics of these conflicts? What is the best way for Asian economies to proceed when negotiating free trade agreements? What lessons in economic integration can Asia learn from Africa, Latin America and the EU? Is it possible to link together the asymmetric and heterogeneous Asian economies, from South Korea and Bangladesh to Singapore and Turkey, to create a positive climate for dynamism and innovation? How can we begin to think and innovate across borders to create Asian solutions for Asian problems?