IndiaPosted at: Nov 12 2026 6:06PM


PM Modi to attend 49th ASEAN-India and East Asia Summits in Manila from Nov 16 to 18

New Delhi, Nov 12 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manila from November 16 to 18 to participate in the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit, as India seeks to strengthen its strategic and economic engagement with Southeast Asia amid shifting regional and global geopolitical dynamics.
The visit will include bilateral meetings with several world leaders and an official dinner hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for visiting dignitaries, India's Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon said on Thursday.
Modi's participation comes as the Philippines prepares to host the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits, bringing together at least 19 world leaders and heads of international institutions.
India's trade with the ASEAN region has reached approximately $122 billion, making the grouping a major trading partner, Tandon said, highlighting the growing importance of economic ties alongside strategic cooperation.
"Today we are trading with the entire region of approximately 122 billion, so it has also emerged as a major trading partner for India," he said.
India engages with ASEAN through several institutional mechanisms, including meetings between heads of government, foreign ministers, senior officials and specialised sectoral dialogue platforms, Tandon added.
He said stronger relations with ASEAN, both collectively and through individual member states, were important for India's resilience in the face of rapid geopolitical changes.
As an Indian Ocean country bordering the strategically important Southeast Asian maritime region, India considers closer cooperation with ASEAN essential for maintaining regional peace and stability, he said.\\
He said India's engagement with ASEAN extends beyond the annual summit and includes meetings at the level of heads of government, foreign ministers, senior officials and specialised sectoral dialogue mechanisms.
"We in India strongly believe that as an Indian Ocean country that abuts this very important Southeast Asian maritime zone, a strong strategic relationship with the ASEAN member states -- as a collective as well as individually -- is good for both of us," he said.
Such cooperation, he added, would strengthen resilience against geopolitical changes and contribute to peace and stability across Asia.
"It will make us more resilient to handle the very rapid geopolitical changes that are taking place around us, and will also, I think, contribute to peace and stability in Asia as a whole," Tandon said.
Maritime cooperation will remain a key component of the relationship. India and ASEAN designated 2026 as the Year of Maritime Cooperation, organising activities to highlight their shared maritime geography and strategic interests.
Trade negotiations will also feature in the broader engagement. Tandon said India wanted the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to be completed as soon as possible, although reaching consensus among 10 negotiating parties remained challenging.
He said India was pursuing bilateral trade facilitation initiatives and agreements alongside the multilateral negotiations to expand commercial opportunities for businesses on both sides.
The ASEAN-India Summit will be followed by the East Asia Summit process, an ASEAN-led forum involving regional leaders and eight participating countries that discusses international security and other issues of common concern.
This year's ASEAN chairmanship is held by the Philippines under the theme "Navigating Our Future, Together", with leaders expected to discuss regional cooperation, economic resilience and pressing challenges, including the continuing crisis in Myanmar.
The related meetings, known as Plus One Summits, are scheduled for November 16 and 17, with participation from dialogue partners including India, China, Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang is also expected in Manila for the 29th China-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting, following an invitation from Marcos. U.S. President Donald Trump and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are among other prominent international figures expected to attend the gathering.
The summit will also provide opportunities for ASEAN leaders to engage with representatives of the business community, youth organisations and parliamentarians.
Tandon described ASEAN's collective diplomacy as an important platform for regional dialogue and cooperation, saying closer engagement with the grouping remained a key pillar of India's Act East Policy.
Modi's programme is also expected to include an interaction with members of the Indian diaspora in the Philippines, following requests from the community to meet the prime minister.
India views its partnership with ASEAN as central to its broader Indo-Pacific engagement, with the Manila meetings expected to provide an opportunity to advance cooperation in trade, maritime security and regional stability.UNI AAB
Tags: #PM Modi to attend 49th ASEAN-India and East Asia Summits in Manila from Nov 16 to 18
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