ASEAN Secretary-General Dr Kao Kim Hourn has pitched for a stronger relationship with India.
"We want a stronger relationship with India. Look at the positive side (of the relationship)," Dr Kao said in New Delhi.
The top ASEAN official also stated that the present Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the bloc was under review, and the two sides were looking to conclude it by 2025.
Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanded the completion of the ASEAN-India FTA review at the earliest.
During the last fiscal, trade between India and ASEAN member states, comprising Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, rose to $132 billion.
If one breaks it down, the value of India's exports to ASEAN nations stood at $44 billion, while imports had a $68 billion share in the overall trade between the two sides.