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Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, while addressing the 12th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, said that India has the potential of being an important partner for the region.
"We believe that India is a country to watch," he said.
Officials at the Indian ministry of external affairs view his statement as the first forthright acknowledgement of India's importance.
Never before, said MEA officials, has the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) recognised India as a power to reckon with.
ASEAN had never attached too much importance to India. In this backdrop, Badawi's statement, is seen as very significant.
"We could encourage India to play a role for the promotion of peace, security and stability in East Asia as well as advancing international peace and equitable development," said Badawi.
Speaking on ASEAN's goals, Badawi said that peace, stability and prosperity in the East Asian region will always be of fundamental importance.
Badawai said that the East Asian Summit, which will be convened in Kuala Lumpur on December 14, "is different from the one that we envisaged last year in Vientiane."
He said that the Asean+3 (ASEAN, plus China, Japan and South Korea) would be used as a vehicle for realising the dreams of forming the East Asian community.