Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Jakarta, Indonesia at 3am this morning, September 7.
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| Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at Jakarta International Airport, Indonesia this morning. (Source: PTI) |
Upon arrival in Jakarta, Prime Minister Modi tweeted in Indonesian: “Landed in Jakarta. Looking forward to ASEAN related meetings and working with various leaders for a better planet.”
During the one-day visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi “will attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit hosted by Indonesia in its capacity as ASEAN Chair,” according to a press release from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs.
As the first summit since the elevation of India-ASEAN relations to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022, the 20th ASEAN-India Summit “will review the progress of India-ASEAN relations and chart the future direction of cooperation”.
The communique also stated, “The East Asia Summit will provide an opportunity for leaders of ASEAN countries and eight dialogue partners, including India, to exchange views on issues of regional and global importance.”
Reporting on the Indian prime minister’s “lightning” visit, Mint newspaper said that the country of the Ganges’ relationship with ASEAN has deepened significantly in recent years. Bilateral trade reached 135 billion USD, accounting for more than 11% of India’s global trade.
India and ASEAN held their defence ministers' meeting in November last year and also held their first maritime exercise in May this year.
The two sides also committed to completing the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement by 2025.
After concluding his activities in Indonesia, Prime Minister Modi will return home in the evening of the same day.
Tomorrow, September 8, Mr. Modi is expected to have bilateral meetings with three foreign leaders, including US President Joe Biden.
India will host the 2023 G20 Summit from September 9-10 in the capital New Delhi.
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