PM Modi to go to Laos for ASEAN, East Asia summits

Contact Counsellor

Last Updated11/10/2024

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Thursday for a two-day visit to attend the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on October 10-11, 2024. The visit will include his participation in two key regional summits—the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit, marking a significant diplomatic engagement for India.

One of the highlights of the visit could be Modi's meeting with the newly appointed Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. This would be Ishiba's first overseas visit since assuming office just last week.

Modi's visit is at the invitation of Sonexay Siphandone, the Prime Minister of Laos. Laos, as the current Chair of ASEAN, will host the two-day summits.

India is celebrating a decade of its Act East Policy in 2024, which aims to strengthen ties with Southeast Asia. Relations with ASEAN remain a core pillar of this policy and India’s Indo-Pacific vision.
The 21st ASEAN-India Summit will focus on reviewing the progress of India-ASEAN relations under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and setting the future direction for enhanced cooperation.

The 19th East Asia Summit (EAS) is a key platform for strategic dialogue, allowing leaders from EAS Participating Countries to discuss issues of regional and global importance. Topics likely to be discussed include economic cooperation, climate change, and energy security.
The summit serves to build strategic trust in the Indo-Pacific region and fosters dialogue among major powers, including India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and ASEAN member states.

During the ASEAN summit, Southeast Asian leaders are expected to address pressing regional issues, including the civil war in Myanmar and territorial tensions in the South China Sea.
This will be the first time in three years that Myanmar is sending a high-level representative, Aung Kyaw Moe, as political representatives have been barred since 2021.