PM Modi to Attend India-Asean Summit Virtually
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually attend the India-Asean summit on Sunday, conveying his decision to his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim. Modi's decision to miss the summit in person has sparked speculation, with some attributing it to his preoccupation with the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. However, it also spares him the potential discomfort of meeting US President Donald Trump, who is also attending the Asean and East Asia summits in Kuala Lumpur. Modi has cited the Deepavali festival as the reason for his virtual attendance, respecting the decision and extending greetings to Ibrahim and the people of India.
Key Takeaways:
- PM Modi will virtually attend the India-Asean summit on Sunday, citing the Deepavali festival as the reason.
- Modi's decision to miss the summit in person has sparked speculation, with some attributing it to his preoccupation with the Bihar assembly elections.
- The trip was seen as an opportunity for Modi to strengthen ties with Asean and Trump, but it may have also presented challenges, given their differing stances on Pakistan-related issues.
- Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will represent Modi at the East Asia Summit on October 27.
- The Indian government has stated that Modi and Asean leaders will review progress in relations and discuss initiatives to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
- Strengthening the relationship with Asean is a key pillar of India's Act East Policy and Indo-Pacific vision.
- Congress has criticized Modi's decision, suggesting that he may have avoided meeting Trump to avoid being "cornered" and to avoid controversy over their differing stances on various issues.
Statistics:
- 53: The number of times Trump has claimed to have stopped Operation Sindoor.
- 5: The number of times Trump has claimed that India has promised to stop buying oil from Russia.
Sources:
- Ascertainment by the Times of India via the official Malaysia Prime Minister's accounts on X (The Times of India, "PM Narendra Modi to virtually attend India-Asean summit", 2023)
- Official announcement from the Ministry of External Affairs of India on the Government of India's official website (Government of India, MEA, "PM to attend India-Asean summit virtually", 2023)
- Post by PM Modi on his official X account (The Prime Minister of India's official X account, Modi with Asean leaders on the backdrop, 2023)
- Post by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on his official X account (The Prime Minister of Malaysia's official X account, 2023)
- Speech by Jairam Ramesh, Congress spokesperson (Times of India, Congress: Modi skipped Malaysia to avoid 'Trump', 2023)