Why India’s Modi skipped Asean summit in Malaysia

South China Morning PostCenterEN 1 min read 100% complete by Biman MukherjiOctober 27, 2025 at 12:30 PM

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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not attend the ASEAN summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, opting instead to address it virtually. Analysts suggest his absence was due to upcoming state elections in Bihar and to avoid meeting US President Donald Trump during sensitive trade negotiations. During a White House event, Trump had previously stated that India would cease purchasing Russian oil. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar led the government delegation at the summit and met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines. The virtual address by Modi covered topics such as reviewing the India-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, enhancing tourism and maritime cooperation, and supporting East Timor's humanitarian efforts.

Key Topics & Entities

Bihar 40% Malaysia ×250% Subrahmanyam Jaishankar ×250% US ×360% Donald Trump ×260% Association of Southeast Asian Nations ×370% Asean summit ×370% India ×680% Narendra Modi ×480%

Keywords

asean summit 100% narendra modi 90% bihar polls 80% us-india trade negotiations 70% donald trump 60% india-asean free trade agreement 50% indian foreign minister 50% maritime cooperation 40%