Focus shifts to Bihar elections and Chhath celebrations; Jaishankar to represent India at East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur
New Delhi, October 23 :Prime Minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to travel to Malaysia next week for the ASEAN Summit, with sources citing scheduling conflicts and the government’s focus on the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. While there has been no formal confirmation from the Ministry of External Affairs, officials indicated that the Prime Minister may address the India-ASEAN Summit virtually on October 26.
The annual ASEAN gathering, to be held in Kuala Lumpur from October 26–28, was earlier viewed as a potential venue for a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump amid ongoing trade tensions. However, with limited progress in negotiations for a new trade deal, the meeting now appears unlikely.
External affairs minister S. Jaishankar is expected to represent India at the East Asia Summit on October 27–28. Preparations for a possible Modi visit had been completed, including an advance recce, and Malaysian officials had initially listed him among the arriving leaders.
Commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal recently concluded two days of trade discussions in Washington, which were described as cordial but without a breakthrough. Talks resumed last month following strained ties after the US imposed steep tariffs on Indian exports and Russian oil-linked transactions.
Despite diplomatic engagement, the Prime Minister’s domestic commitments.
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