New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to virtually attend the 22nd ASEAN-India Summit on Sunday.
The Prime Minister received the invitation to this significant event from Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, for the 47th ASEAN Summit taking place in Kuala Lumpur. Notably, Timor-Leste has been officially welcomed into ASEAN, bringing the total number of member states to eleven.
According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, Prime Minister Modi and other ASEAN leaders will conduct a joint review of the progress made in ASEAN-India relations. They will also discuss new initiatives aimed at bolstering the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The Ministry emphasized that enhancing relations with ASEAN is a crucial component of India’s Act East Policy and its broader vision for the Indo-Pacific region.
In parallel, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is scheduled to represent Prime Minister Modi at the 20th East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 27. This summit will serve as a platform to discuss critical challenges impacting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, alongside exchanging views on current regional and global developments.
It’s worth noting that Prime Minister Modi has consistently participated in all ASEAN-India Summits since 2014, with the exception of 2022. A significant event was the 25th year Commemorative Summit held in New Delhi in January 2018, where leaders from all 10 ASEAN nations were honored guests at India’s Republic Day parade.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Modi shared highlights of his discussion with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. In a post on X, PM Modi conveyed his warm regards to Prime Minister Ibrahim, congratulating him on Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN and extending best wishes for the upcoming summits.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established on August 8, 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand, with founding members including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Its current member states are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and most recently, Timor-Leste.
The ASEAN Charter, which entered into force in 2008, provides a legal framework and institutional structure for the organization. The ASEAN Secretariat, established in February 1976, is headquartered in Jakarta.
Malaysia holds the Chairmanship of ASEAN for 2025, followed by the Philippines in 2026. India’s formal engagement with ASEAN commenced in 1992 as a Sectoral Dialogue Partner, which was later upgraded to a Dialogue Partner in 1995. This partnership initially involved interactions at the Foreign Minister level and was elevated to the Summit level in 2002. The relationship further deepened in 2012 when India’s Dialogue Partnership was upgraded to a Strategic Partnership, and subsequently to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.