Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Vientiane, the capital of Laos, for a two-day trip starting Thursday to attend the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit, as confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The visit comes at the invitation of Lao PDR's Prime Minister, Sonexay Siphandone.
Modi's trip will focus on bolstering India's engagement with ASEAN, as the nation marks a decade of its Act East Policy. The ASEAN-India Summit will review the progress of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the ASEAN bloc and outline future cooperation strategies. The East Asia Summit, an important leaders-led forum aimed at fostering strategic trust in the region, will also be a key part of the visit.
In addition to attending the summits, Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders from other nations. Notably, sources suggest a possible meeting with Japan's newly appointed Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, marking his first overseas trip since taking office last week.
ASEAN's agenda will address crucial regional issues, including the ongoing civil war in Myanmar and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The summit brings together leaders from the 10 ASEAN member states — Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei, and Laos — along with dialogue partners such as India, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, to discuss topics ranging from economic cooperation to climate change and energy.
This year’s ASEAN Summit has drawn attention with Myanmar sending its first high-level representative in three years, Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary Aung Kyaw Moe, following the country's exclusion from political participation in late 2021.
