ASEAN-India Summit, G20, bilaterals: PM Narendra Modi’s jam-packed itinerary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a packed schedule this week. Just days before New Delhi hosts the G20 Summit over the weekend, he is set to fly off to Indonesia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-India and East Asia summits scheduled for Thursday (7 September). Modi will leave for the Indonesian capital Jakarta in the night today and will return to New Delhi late in the evening the next day. After this brief visit, the Indian leader will have his hands full with the G20 Summit which is scheduled for 9-10 September in Delhi’s Pragati Maidan. Let’s take a closer look at Modi’s busy schedule this week. Short trip to Jakarta Indonesia has rescheduled the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and 18th East Asia Summit for Thursday in view of PM Modi’s time constraint. “The Indonesian side was kind enough so as to advance both summits to earlier in the day on 7 September so that PM Modi could return to India on the same day,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary (East) Saurabh Kumar informed earlier, as per The Hindu. This will be the first ASEAN-India Summit since the two sides upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership last year. India ’s leader will not hold any bilateral meetings during his brief visit to Jakarta. [caption id=“attachment_13085742” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Cambodia’s PM (now former) Hun Sen, PM Narendra Modi and Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo attended the East Asia Summit (EAS) in Thailand in 2019. Reuters File Photo[/caption] According to Kumar, Modi will assess progress on strategic cooperation, military exercises, and connectivity, including physical, digital and people-to-people ties, as well as trade relations. As per Indian Express, a new proposal to boost maritime security cooperation could be launched. Talks on future cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the situation in Myanmar could also come up as leaders of the 10-nation influential bloc and India meet. Meanwhile, the MEA official did not confirm whether the recent controversy over China releasing a new “standard map” will be discussed. Beijing angered India, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam as its map laid claims to Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh and the South China Sea. Besides Modi, the East Asian Summit will be attended by the leaders of the ASEAN bloc, United States vice president Kamala Harris, Chinese premier Li Qiang, and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. ALSO READ: Narendra Modi and the democratisation of G20: 3 key takeaways from PM interview with Moneycontrol Bilaterals amid G20 Modi is set to hold bilateral talks with US president Joe Biden on 8 September (Friday) in Delhi, a day ahead of the G20 Summit. According to Deccan Herald, civil nuclear cooperation between India and the US could be one of the agendas during the talks. Developing next-generation small modular reactor technologies, accelerating progress on the General Electric (GE) F-414 fighter jet engines deal, announcing an agreement on India procuring MQ-9B HALE UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), and easing the US visa process for Indians could also be on the cards, reported Indian Express. In Delhi, the US will focus on “delivering for developing countries, making progress on key priorities for the American people from climate to technology, and showing our [its] commitment to the G20,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House press briefing on Tuesday, as per The Hindu. Modi may also host Biden to a dinner on Friday, depending on the US president’s arrival in New Delhi, noted Mint. This is Biden’s first visit to India since becoming the US president. Modi had visited the US on a state visit in June this year. [caption id=“attachment_13085772” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] PM Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks with US president Joe Biden later this week. Reuters File Photo[/caption] The Indian leader will also meet Mauritian prime minister Pravind Jugnauth, his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina and Comoros president Azali Assoumani – who is also the Chairperson of the African Union (AU) – on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

AU is likely to become the 21st member of the G20 during the Delhi summit.

On Sunday, Modi will hold a bilateral conversation with French president Emmanuel Macron and the two leaders may also partake in an afternoon lunch, as per the Mint report. G20 Summit This is the first time India is hosting the leaders of the G20 nations, comprising of 19 of the world’s wealthiest countries and the European Union. Discussions on the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the global economy are expected to dominate the talks. However, PM Modi will attempt to highlight the concerns of the Global South with a focus on Africa during the two-day gathering, as per the Mint report. He will also promote green development and green objectives to tackle climate crisis in the future. He is expected to encourage the use of millet for global food security. After wrapping up the G20 summit, Modi may hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on 11 September. The Saudi Crown Prince, who is also the prime minister of his country, is travelling to India for the G20 meeting following which he will start his day-long state visit on Monday, reported Hindustan Times.  With inputs from agencies