ASEAN Summit 2025: The ASEAN Summit has commenced in Malaysia. US President Donald Trump arrived in Malaysia on Saturday and received a grand welcome at the Malaysian airport. President Trump stated that he was stopping in Kuala Lumpur to thank PM Anwar Ibrahim for Malaysia's involvement in ending the conflict between Thailand and Cambodia. Trump added that a peace agreement would be signed between Cambodia and Thailand. The US President will not be part of the main summit proceedings but will hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be travelling to Malaysia for this summit. Instead, he will participate in today's session virtually. Prime Minister Modi announced on social media on Thursday that he had spoken with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and congratulated him on assuming the ASEAN chairmanship. He wished the summit success and reiterated India's commitment to further strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and ASEAN. India's External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, will attend the summit.
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) is a regional organisation of 10 Southeast Asian countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia), established in 1967. Its aim is to promote economic growth, regional peace, and cultural cooperation. ASEAN promotes trade through agreements such as the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney wrote on X that PM Modi's absence from Malaysia is being viewed as an attempt to maintain distance from US President Donald Trump. The US has recently imposed hefty tariffs on India. PM Modi would only wish to meet the US President once a draft of the India-US trade agreement is prepared.
On this matter, former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal has defended PM Modi's decision not to attend in Malaysia on social media. Kanwal Sibal stated that if PM Modi had gone to Kuala Lumpur, he would have had to meet Trump. Trump's unpredictable and absurd statements pose a political risk.
International affairs expert Harsh V Pant said that if the Prime Minister met Trump directly, the US President might say anything in a public forum. PM Modi has made this decision to avoid such a situation.
Former Union Minister and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has questioned PM Modi's decision not to attend in Malaysia. Jairam Ramesh said that Prime Minister Modi does not want to confront US President Trump.
Jairam said that praising the US President on social media is one thing, but facing him is another. He wrote on X that the reason for PM Modi not going to Malaysia is clear: he does not want to come face-to-face with President Trump, who will be present there. For this very reason, he did not go to Egypt either.
