The Special ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting on Negotiations to Review and Upgrade the AITIGA Agreement took place on the morning of August 28, 2025 to discuss the negotiation status and ASEAN's proposed package in the negotiation with India. Vietnamese delegation participated and made active contributions, creating a basis for ASEAN to agree on a proposed package to be tabled to India, preparing for the next negotiation phase.

On the morning of August 28, 2025, the Special ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting on the negotiation to review and upgrade the AITIGA Agreement took place. Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, together with representatives from Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Science and Technology attended the Meeting virtually from the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

The Meeting was chaired by Malaysian Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, His Excellency Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, with the participation of Economic Ministers of ASEAN member countries and ASEAN Deputy Secretary-General Satvinder Singh. 

During the meeting, ASEAN countries were updated by the Chair of the Joint Committee on Negotiations for the Review and Upgrade of the AITIGA, Ms. Mastura Ahmad Mustafa, on the negotiation status, outstanding issues and challenges, as well as the ASEAN proposals to promote negotiations. The Meeting noted the goal of substantially concluding the negotiation to review and upgrade the AITIGA in 2025 remains as one of the priority economic deliverables of Malaysia, the ASEAN 2025 Chair.

On behalf of Vietnamese delegation, Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan emphasized the importance of India to the ASEAN region, reaffirming the desire to promote and soon conclude negotiations to review and upgrade the AITIGA of Viet Nam to strengthen economic relations between the two sides, creating more favorable conditions for trade in goods and business activities of the business community.

The Meeting ended on the morning of August 28, 2025, creating a basis for countries to prepare for the series of ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meetings and related meetings to take place at the end of September 2025.

The AITIGA was signed in 2019 and came into effect on January 1, 2010. In 2022, ASEAN countries and India decided to negotiate to review and upgrade this agreement. Up to now, the negotiation to review and upgrade the AITIGA has gone through 10 official negotiation rounds. The two sides have also substantially concluded the Economic and Technical Cooperation Chapter.

In 2024, trade turnover between ASEAN and India reached 106.9 billion USD, up 6.05% compared to 2023; of which ASEAN exports to India account for 70.8 billion USD, up 7.6%, ASEAN imports from India were 36.1 billion USD, up 3.4%. Bilateral trade turnover between Viet Nam and India in 2024 reached 14.9 billion USD, up 4.5% compared to 2023. Of which, Viet Nam's exports to India reached 9.06 billion USD, up 7.6%, while imports from India to Vietnam reached 5.83 billion USD, down 0.6%.