After a long and meaningful journey for about 8,000 kilometers in three weeks, the ASEAN-India Car Rally has been officially concluded today. AS one of the most highlighted events in commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations in 2012, the Rally’s main objective is to essentially demonstrate, in a very visible manner, India’s proximity to ASEAN, which will also enhance public awareness of the current canvas of ASEAN-India partnership and further strengthen trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people linkages.
Heads of State/Government and representatives of ASEAN and India warmly welcomed the Car Rally participants during the Ceremonial Flag Down of the event this morning at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, India. H.E. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary-General of ASEAN, who attended the ceremony, believes that this activity is a perfect vehicle to promote public awareness and transport connectivity between ASEAN and India, which would help enhance trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people linkages. It would also contribute to paving the way for enhancing the partnership, increasing traditional ties, and elevating the ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations to a higher level.
This is the 2nd edition of the ASEAN-India Car Rally that involved over 120 participants from ASEAN Member States and India and included more than 30 cars. The Rally kicked off on 26 November 2012 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, with a Ceremonial Flag-Off in Singapore and wound its way through 8 of the 10 ASEAN Member States. On 17 December 2012, the journey finished in Guwahati, India, before it was officially concluded today by the Heads of State/Government of ASEAN and India here in New Delhi.
The 1st ASEAN-India Car Rally was held from 23 November - 6 December 2004, which involved about 240 participants with 60 vehicles. Then, the journey started in Guwahati, India, and traversed to Myanmar, Thailand, the Lao PDR, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore before ending in Batam, Indonesia.