New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the 22nd ASEAN-India summit virtually, and not make the trip to Kuala Lumpur, even as US President Donald Trump is set to travel to Malaysia. The decision of Modi’s virtual participation was announced Thursday, three days before the summit.
Modi’s virtual attendance, announced on X by the Indian prime minister, comes amidst ongoing trade negotiations with the US. While Modi was expected to personally attend the summit for a number of reasons, clarity set in on the final decision in the hours following a call between the prime minister and the US president on Diwali.
While Modi’s statement on the call indicated that the two discussed counter-terrorism cooperation, Trump said in statements to the press that the two discussed trade between the two countries, with focus on purchase of Russian oil. After the call, Trump reiterated his claim that Modi told him India would not buy “much oil from Russia”. India has maintained that it will source its energy needs at the prevailing market rates.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent New Delhi at the East Asia Summit on 27 October.
“External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will represent Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi at the 20th East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 27 October, 2025. The East Asia Summit will provide an opportunity to deliberate on the challenges to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and also exchange views on regional and international developments,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement Thursday.
Trade negotiations between India and the US are yet to fructify into any deal, be it a “mini-deal” or the first tranche of a larger bilateral agreement as envisioned by Modi and Trump in their last meeting in February this year. India’s negotiating team was in the US last weekend ahead of Diwali.
The ASEAN-related mechanisms and summit have been part of Modi’s annual calendar since he assumed power in 2014. He has almost always travelled for the summit, making the trip to Jakarta in 2023, just 72 hours before hosting the leaders of the world at the G20 summit in New Delhi.
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India-US relations
Prime Minister Modi has maintained a strong friendship with Trump, which began during the latter’s first term as president. Modi was one of the early few to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump in the White House within the first month of him assuming the presidency this year.
The two remained in touch in the immediate aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack in April. In June, the two leaders held a telephonic conversation while Modi was at the G7 summit in Canada. After the call, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had mentioned in a statement that Modi made it clear to Trump that there were no discussions on trade between India and the US, while Operation Sindoor is ongoing.
The American President has consistently claimed, including in comments after the latest call with the Indian PM, that the US used its strong trade ties to end the conflict between New Delhi and Islamabad earlier this year.
Trump had invited Modi to stop over at the White House on the Indian leader’s return from Canada, an invitation that was declined. Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir was in Washington D.C. around the same time, and had held a two-hour luncheon with Trump. However, Modi had a scheduled visit to Croatia at the time, and travelled straight to the European nation from Canada.
As the political conversation between Modi and Trump stalled, ties between India and the US were perceived as deteriorating. In August, Trump imposed 50 percent tariffs on India—among the highest rates imposed on US’ trade partners—while his allies openly blamed India for the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine.
However, a partial thaw of sorts was perceived after Trump called Modi in September to wish him on his 75th birthday. Since the call in September, the Prime Minister’s Office has released readouts for two more calls between the two leaders, including one where Modi praised the ongoing positive momentum in trade negotiations between India and the US.
Trump has asserted that there was another call last week. However, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, cast doubt on the occurrence of that call, saying that he was “not aware” of such a discussion.
Even as the political relationship cooled down, the bilateral mechanisms between India and the US have continued to function as normal. The two militaries held joint exercises in Alaska recently, while trade negotiations have continued with reciprocal visits of the respective negotiating teams.
Jaishankar met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of the United Nations General Assembly high-level week last month. The US Ambassador-designate Sergio Gor visited India earlier this month and called on Modi, indicating the level of emphasis New Delhi has placed on maintaining its relationship with Washington D.C..
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
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