India is willing to engage ASEAN in a discussion on an open skies policy, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, told ASEAN leaders at the summit meeting here today. "Greater connectivity is central to the idea of regional economic integration," he said, noting that the initiative taken in 2003 to liberalise air services had led to a significant increase in flight connections between India and ASEAN.

Urging the Trade Ministers to expedite negotiations on the free trade agreement so that it can be finalised, as agreed, by July 2007, Dr Singh said that trade with each other had grown by an "impressive" 30 per cent last year. "This leaves us in little doubt about our ability to achieve, even surpass, the target of $30 billion by 2007". He said India was seeking to deepen the economic integration by entering into free trade or economic partnership agreements both with ASEAN and with individual countries in the region. "These partnerships... could light up the future of this region," he said.