Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be attending the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in person, opting instead for virtual participation. Ibrahim stated that Modi informed him of this decision due to the ongoing Deepavali celebrations in India at the time of the summit. “I respect his decision and extended my greetings for a happy Deepavali to him and the entire people of India,” Ibrahim shared on social media.
The Malaysian Prime Minister also highlighted recent discussions aimed at bolstering Malaysia-India bilateral relations. He mentioned a phone call with an associate of PM Modi to explore ways to elevate these ties to a more strategic and comprehensive level. India is considered a crucial partner for Malaysia, particularly in trade and investment, with significant cooperation in technology, education, and regional security.
Malaysia remains committed to enhancing its bilateral relationship with India and further strengthening ASEAN-India cooperation to foster a more peaceful and prosperous region, Ibrahim affirmed.
Prime Minister Modi also confirmed his virtual participation in the ASEAN-India Summit, expressing his anticipation for a productive discussion with Prime Minister Ibrahim. He conveyed congratulations to Malaysia for its chairmanship of ASEAN and wished success for the upcoming summits, emphasizing the desire to deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between ASEAN and India.
The ASEAN meetings are scheduled to take place from October 26-28. Notably, US President Donald Trump is also expected to attend the summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26 for a two-day visit.
The article also touches upon commentary from Indian political figures, with Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh suggesting that Modi’s decision might be influenced by a desire to avoid a physical meeting with President Trump. Ramesh drew parallels to a previous instance where Modi reportedly declined an invitation to a summit in Egypt, citing similar concerns over optics.
The historical context of ASEAN-India dialogue relations is also provided, noting its origins in a sectoral partnership in 1992, which evolved into a summit-level partnership in 2002 and a strategic partnership in 2012. The 10 member nations of ASEAN are Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.