It seems the new government may have become concerned about the services FTA, and, thus, avoided the signing ceremony.
This is an agreement that India has long wanted; India’s strength in services will counterbalance the strength of some Asean nations in primary goods and others in manufacturing.
The Asean countries are a net importer of services; India is a net exporter.
Further, Indian services did well out of a trade agreement with Malaysia separate from its free-trade agreement on goods with Asean.
However, the new commerce minister announced early a 'review' of all FTAs, with a view to seeing if further FTAs were desirable.
And it seems the new government may have become concerned about the services FTA, and, thus, avoided the signing ceremony -- although it has suggested 'circulating' the agreement to the Asean members.
It is not certain whether this will be acceptable to Asean, however.
Having just torpedoed world trade talks to protect unsustainably high minimum support prices for agricultural goods, New Delhi should be more worried about sending out anti-trade signals.
Even if the government wished to avoid living up to its international commitments, the manner in which it has ducked its obligations is embarrassing.
The Asean ministers were due to be joined in Myanmar by Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Instead, at the very last minute, Ms Sitharaman declared that she needed to stay back --
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