PM Modi to Join 47th ASEAN Summit Virtually, Won’t Travel to Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday confirmed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur in person, citing ongoing Deepavali celebrations in India. Modi will, however, participate virtually.

“We touched on the organization of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur at the end of this month. He informed me that he will attend virtually due to the ongoing Deepavali celebrations in India at that time,” Anwar said on social media. “I respect his decision and extended my greetings for a happy Deepavali to him and the entire people of India.”

Anwar also highlighted discussions with a colleague of Modi on strengthening Malaysia-India bilateral relations. “India remains an important partner for Malaysia in trade, investment, technology, education, and regional security,” he said, reaffirming Malaysia’s commitment to enhancing both bilateral and ASEAN-India cooperation.

PM Modi later confirmed on X that he would join the summit virtually. “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,” Modi said. “Look forward to joining the ASEAN-India Summit virtually, and to further deepening of the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”

The ASEAN meetings are scheduled from October 26-28. Malaysia has also invited US President Donald Trump and leaders of several ASEAN dialogue partner countries, with Trump set to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on October 26 for a two-day trip.

Congress Criticism
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took a dig at Modi’s absence, suggesting that it may be aimed at avoiding direct engagement with President Trump, who will also be present. Ramesh noted that Modi had previously skipped the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt, citing similar concerns. He added that missing the Kuala Lumpur summit could mean a lost opportunity for photo-ops and global engagement.

ASEAN-India Relations
India’s dialogue with ASEAN began in 1992 as a sectoral partnership, evolving to a full dialogue partnership in 1995, summit-level in 2002, and a strategic partnership in 2012. ASEAN comprises 10 member states: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. In recent years, ties have strengthened with a focus on trade, investment, security, and defence collaboration.