South Africa tour of India 2019
PM Modi to Attend ASEAN Summit Virtually as Malaysia’s PM Confirms; Congress Targets Move Over Trump Presence
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not travel to Kuala Lumpur for the upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit, but will instead participate virtually due to the ongoing Deepavali celebrations in India.
“We discussed the organization of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur. He informed me that he will attend virtually due to the Deepavali festival in India,” Anwar wrote on social media, extending festive greetings to Modi and the people of India.
Ibrahim said he had recently spoken with a representative of Modi to discuss ways to strengthen Malaysia-India ties across trade, investment, technology, education, and regional security. “India remains an important partner for Malaysia,” he emphasized, adding that Malaysia was committed to enhancing ASEAN-India cooperation for a more peaceful and prosperous region.
Later in the day, Prime Minister Modi confirmed his participation, writing on X (formerly Twitter): “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 the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”
The ASEAN meetings, scheduled for October 26–28, will also see the participation of US President Donald Trump and leaders of other ASEAN dialogue partners.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a political swipe at Modi, claiming that the Prime Minister’s decision to skip the summit stemmed from his reluctance to be seen alongside Trump. “Posting messages in praise of President Trump on social media is one thing. But to be seen hobnobbing physically with the man who has claimed 53 times that he stopped Operation Sindoor is another matter. It’s far too risky for him,” Ramesh quipped.
He further alleged that Modi had similarly avoided the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt weeks earlier, saying that skipping Kuala Lumpur was a missed diplomatic opportunity. In a sarcastic remark, Ramesh added, “Bachke re rehna re baba, bachke rehna re.”
The ASEAN-India dialogue partnership, established in 1992, has grown into a strategic partnership since 2012, focusing on enhancing cooperation in trade, investment, defence, and regional security. The 10 ASEAN members include Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia.
For days the speculation has been - will He or won't He? Will Mr. Modi go to Kuala Lumpur for the Summit or not?
Now it appears certain that the PM will not go. It means the loss of so many opportunities to hug and get photo ops with world leaders or to flaunt himself as the… pic.twitter.com/gMf4Wbnajl
Comments