
News Topical, Digital Desk : Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the 47th ASEAN Summit in Malaysia in person. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim confirmed this on Thursday, saying Modi will participate virtually due to the Diwali festival.
The summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur from October 26 to 28. Anwar also said that discussions focused on further strengthening relations between India and Malaysia. PM Modi also confirmed this on the social media platform X.
He congratulated Anwar Ibrahim on Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship and wished the summit success. "I look forward to virtually joining the ASEAN-India Summit and further deepening the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership," PM Modi said.
Preparations to take India-Malaysia relations to new heights
Anwar Ibrahim said he recently spoke by phone with an aide to Modi. The conversation focused on strengthening the strategic and comprehensive relationship between the two countries. India is an important partner for Malaysia in areas such as trade, investment, technology, education, and regional security. Anwar said Malaysia is committed to further expanding bilateral and regional cooperation with India.
He added that Malaysia will work to strengthen ASEAN-India cooperation to advance peace and prosperity in the region. The summit will be attended by leaders from several ASEAN dialogue partners, including US President Donald Trump. Trump will arrive in Kuala Lumpur on October 26 for a two-day visit.
Congress taunts, accuses him of avoiding meeting Trump
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a dig at Modi's decision and claimed that PM Modi wants to avoid a personal meeting with Donald Trump.
Ramesh wrote on X that Trump has repeatedly claimed he stopped Operation Sindoor and that India has promised to stop buying oil from Russia. He believes that a personal meeting with Trump could be risky for Modi.
Ramesh also said that Modi had skipped the recent Gaza peace conference in Egypt out of fear of meeting Trump. He alleged that by not attending the conference in Kuala Lumpur, PM Modi was missing an opportunity to meet with world leaders and enhance his image as a "world leader."
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