New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not travel to Kuala Lumpur for the upcoming ASEAN Summit this weekend and will participate virtually instead. Modi shared on X, “Had a warm conversation with my dear friend, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia. Congratulated him on Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship and conveyed best wishes for the success of upcoming Summits. Look forward to joining the ASEAN-India Summit virtually and to further deepening of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed the discussion, stating that Modi will attend virtually due to India’s Deepavali celebrations coinciding with the summit.
The Ministry of External Affairs announced that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent India at the 20th East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur on 27 October. The summit is expected to focus on peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, alongside discussions on regional and international developments.
This ASEAN Summit comes at a sensitive time in India-US trade negotiations, amid recent tensions and statements from US President Donald Trump regarding tariffs. Analysts, including Michael Kugelman of the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada, suggest that a face-to-face meeting between leaders at ASEAN could have provided an opportunity to “clear the air, finalise a trade deal, and gauge Trump’s willingness to attend the Quad leaders summit in India.”
