PM Modi to attend Asean summit in Jakarta next month

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the Asean and East Asia summits in Jakarta next month, ahead of the G20 summit.

The September 6-7 visit will be Modi's second trip to Indonesia in less than a year. He was at the G20 summit in Bali last November. There will be slew of summits, beginning with the Brics summit from Tuesday to Thursday in Johannesburg, followed by Jakarta summits and G20 summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

India's Act East Policy has seen growth of trade and investments. Modi is expected to emphasise on Asean centrality for India's Indo-Pacific policy and freedom of navigation at the meetings.


Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar represented India at the India-Asean summit last year and related meetings in Cambodia. The summit meetings saw India elevated as Asean's comprehensive strategic partner.

Indonesian president Joko Widodo will preside over 12 meetings during the 43rd Asean summit, including a plenary session, retreat session, Asean-China summit, Asean-South Korea summit, Asean-Indo-Pacific forum and symbolic transfer of chairmanship to Laos. The East Asia Summit and Asean Plus Three Summit will be on September 7.