New Delhi: Ahead of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to embark on a visit to Indonesia to participate in the ASEAN summit, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday. This will be his second visit to Indonesia.
The ASEAN summit is scheduled from September 5 to 7 while the G20 summit will take place from September 9 to 10 in the national capital. Before the Indonesia visit, the Prime Minister will also travel to South Africa for the BRICS summit, scheduled from August 22 to 24.
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The September 6-7 visit will be Prime Minister Narendra Modi's second trip to Indonesia in less than a year. He was at the G20 summit in Bali last November. There will be a slew of summits, beginning with the BRICS summit from Tuesday to Thursday in Johannesburg, followed by the Jakarta summits and the G20 summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.
India’s Act East Policy has seen tremendous growth in terms of trade and investments. During his visit to Indonesia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to emphasize ASEAN centrality for India's Indo-Pacific policy and freedom of navigation at the meeting. His visit underscores New Delhi’s outreach and engagement with ASEAN.
Last year, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar represented the country at the India-ASEAN Summit and other related summit meetings in Cambodia. Indonesian President Joko Widodo will preside over 12 meetings during the 43rd ASEAN Summit, set to take place at the Jakarta Convention Center from September 5 to 7.
The meetings include the 43rd ASEAN Summit plenary session, the 43rd ASEAN Summit retreat session, the 26th ASEAN-China Summit, the 24th ASEAN-South Korea Summit, the ASEAN-Indo-Pacific Forum, and the symbolic transfer of the ASEAN chairmanship to Laos. The East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Plus Three Summit will take place on September 7.
India's diplomatic calendar will witness a flurry of high-level activities starting from the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, the ASEAN summit in Jakarta, and finally concluding with the G20 summit in New Delhi.
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