Ahead of the upcoming G20 Summit in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to embark on his visit to Indonesia from September 06-07 to attend the Asean-India and the East Asia Summit to boast Indias trade and security ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.PM Modi to attend ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit next weekIn a statement, the external affairs ministry said that PM Modi is travelling to Jakarta for the meetings at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.Notably, Indonesia is the current chair of ASEAN and the two crucial meetings will be held days before India hosts the G20 Summit in New Delhi during September 9-10.This will be the first ASEAN-India Summit since the elevation of Indo-Asean relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022. It will review the progress of the Indo-Asean relations and chart the future direction of the cooperation, said the statement.The East Asia Summit will be an opportunity for leaders of ASEAN countries and the eight dialogue partners of the grouping, including India, to exchange views on regional and global issues.India and its trade ties with ASEAN countriesBasically, ASEAN occupies a central place in Indias policy for the Indo-Pacific. Further, India has also significant trade and investment ties with key ASEAN members, including Singapore.Earlier, there was speculation that PM Modi could hold talks with Chinas leadership on the margins of the Asean-related meetings. However, Chinese President Xi Jinping is not attending the meetings in Indonesia and its delegation will be led by Premier Li Qiang. Li is also expected to head the Chinese delegation at the G20 Summit in the national capital next week.
