PM Modi to attend ASEAN summit virtually, says host Malaysia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend virtually the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit in Kuala Lumpur, his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday.

The event is scheduled for October 26 to October 28, alongside the East Asia summit.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the meetings, PTI reported.

India is not a member of the ASEAN but has a comprehensive strategic partnership with the grouping. However, India is a member of the East Asia region forum.

The expected participation of United States President Donald Trump had led to speculation that a bilateral meeting between him and Modi would be on the cards.

This would have been the first meeting between Modi and Trump since diplomatic tensions erupted between New Delhi and Washington, mainly because the US president imposed so-called reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods and punitive levies for purchasing Russian oil amid Moscow’s war on Ukraine.

The two countries are negotiating a trade deal.

Trump has also repeatedly claimed credit for brokering the ceasefire between India and Pakistan following the four-day conflict in May. New Delhi has rejected the claims and maintained that the ceasefire was not the result of mediation.

On Thursday, Ibrahim said on social media that Modi informed him that he will not participate in the event in person because of Diwali celebrations.

India’s external affairs ministry...

Read more