PM Modi unlikely to attend Asean summit in Malaysia next week

PRime government minister Narendra Modi is unlikely to move around to federation of malaysia next hebdomad for the Asean breast because of scheduling and other issues, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, even as the Indian side was yet to announce the level of participation in the key gathering.The Asean Summit and related meetings are set to be held in Kuala Lumpur during October 26-28, and the gathering was being seen as a possible venue for a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and US President Donald Trump amid trade-related strains in bilateral ties.While there was no formal announcement from the Indian side, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity that the PM is unlikely to travel to Kuala Lumpur. The government’s focus is currently on the upcoming state assembly elections in Bihar and the PM is also expected to participate in celebrations marking Chhath Puja next week, the people said.To be sure, the Prime Minister is expected to participate in the India-Asean Summit on October 26 via virtual teleconference, another person familiar with the matter said. External affairs minister S Jaishankar is expected to take part in the East Asia Summit on October 27-28, this person said.Contacts have continued between India and the US on negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement – including commerce secretary Rajesh Agrawal’s two-day visit to the US last week and a phone conversation between Trump and Modi on Tuesday – though there were few signs of any immediate outcome in this regard, the people said. The lack of a tangible outcome before a potential meeting between the leaders of India and the US was one of the factors that played a role in deciding Modi’s travel plans, they said.The external affairs ministry, however, had completed all preparations for a possible visit to Malaysia, including an advance recce, and Malaysian officials had even announced that Modi was scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on October 26. Trump is expected to arrive in Malaysia on October 26, before travelling to Japan from October 27 to 29.Commerce secretary Agrawal, who till recently was the chief negotiator for the trade deal with the US, concluded two days of discussions with American officials in a cordial atmosphere that created pathways for constructive and mutually beneficial bilateral trade talks between the two countries, people aware of developments said.Agrawal, who left New Delhi on October 15 and returned on October 19, travelled to Washington to join the Indian delegation for the trade talks. According to officials, the two sides remain engaged on the proposed bilateral trade agreement and India is committed to a mutually beneficial agreement that also protects the country’s farmers, fishermen and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).The India-US talks were hit when Trump imposed a 25% reciprocal tariff on Indian goods and a 25% punitive levy over Russian oil purchases. The 50% tariffs made most Indian goods unviable in the US market.The development led to the pausing of negotiations on the trade deal after the fifth round in the latter half of August. Discussions resumed after US assistant trade representative Brendan Lynch held talks with Indian officials in New Delhi on September 16.Modi and Trump have spoken on phone three times since September 16 and US ambassador-designate Sergio Gor visited New Delhi earlier this month as part of efforts to repair ties after months of tensions over trade and tariff-related matters.Trump told reporters in the White House on Wednesday that he and Modi had discussed trade during their phone call on Tuesday, and repeated his claim that India would not “buy much oil from Russia”. Modi said in a social media post that Trump had greeted him on the occasion of Diwali greetings and that the two sides were united against all forms of terrorism, without making any reference to trade.