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PM Modi will visit Manila from November 16 to 18 for ASEAN and East Asia summits, with bilateral meetings and maritime security on the agenda.
A file photo of PM Narendra Modi (PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Manila in the Philippines from November 16 to 18 to attend the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st meeting of the ASEAN-led East Asia Summit process, with maritime security cooperation, trade and investment ties, and bilateral engagements with world leaders expected to feature prominently during his visit.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), PM Modi’s three-day programme will include a dinner hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, participation in the two key regional summits, and bilateral meetings with other leaders on the sidelines.
“Prime Minister Modi will be travelling to Manila to attend the 23rd ASEAN-India summit and the 21st meeting of the ASEAN-led East Asia Summit process. The visit will take place from November 16 to 18,” Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said during a media briefing.
Tandon said PM Modi’s engagements would include attending the dinner hosted by the Philippine president for visiting dignitaries, followed by the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit process on November 17.
Bilateral meetings with other leaders are also scheduled as part of his programme.
PM MODI’S SCHEDULE IN MANILA: INDIAN COMMUNITY MEET ALSO BEING CONSIDERED
Apart from his summit engagements and bilateral meetings, the Prime Minister’s schedule may also include an interaction with members of the Indian community in the Philippines.
At A Glance
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manila, Philippines, from November 16 to 18 to attend the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit.
His schedule includes a dinner hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, summit engagements and bilateral meetings with other world leaders.
Maritime security cooperation, trade and investment ties are expected to be key focus areas at the ASEAN-India Summit.
“There is also a very strong demand from the Indian community to meet the prime minister. So we are trying to adjust that also in his schedule,” Tandon said.
The MEA official indicated that the visit would provide an opportunity to strengthen India’s engagement with ASEAN, both at the regional and bilateral levels.
He described India’s engagement with the ASEAN regional platform as an important component of its Act East Policy, alongside New Delhi’s bilateral relationships with all 11 ASEAN member states.
MARITIME SECURITY, TRADE AND INVESTMENT IN FOCUS
Enhancing maritime security cooperation and strengthening trade and investment ties are expected to be among the key priorities at the ASEAN-India Summit.
According to Tandon, deeper engagement between India and ASEAN would help both sides become more resilient in dealing with rapidly changing geopolitical developments.
At the East Asia Summit, New Delhi is also expected to pitch for deeper maritime cooperation among like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
The theme of this year’s ASEAN Summit is “Navigating the Future”.
Tandon said the discussions would focus on strengthening collaboration among participating countries to improve their collective resilience amid changing regional and global circumstances.
The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) is another issue on the agenda. Asked about the review of the trade pact, Tandon said India favoured its completion at the earliest.
“That conversation is ongoing,” he said.
PM Modi is also expected to join Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for a possible Quad summit on the sidelines of the Manila meetings.
However, there has been no official confirmation of the meeting from the Indian side.
Asked about the proposed Quad summit, Tandon said, “We don’t have any information on this at the moment.”
Last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said that the next edition of the Quad Summit was expected to take place on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines.
India had planned to host the Quad Leaders’ Summit last year, but the meeting did not take place amid uncertainty over Trump’s visit to the country.
EAST ASIA SUMMIT: KEY REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ISSUES
The 21st East Asia Summit process will bring together ASEAN member states and its dialogue partners, including India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Russia.
The forum, which was established in 2005, is regarded as a key platform for discussions on security, defence and wider strategic, geopolitical and economic developments in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Philippines is hosting the meetings in its capacity as the current chair of ASEAN.
Separately, India reiterated its position on Myanmar, with Tandon saying that isolating the country would not be the right approach.
“For Myanmar, our position has always been very clear. We have always said that isolating Myanmar is not the right approach because if we do, someone else will fill that vacuum,” he said.
“There is no alternative to engaging Myanmar. We strongly support ASEAN initiatives to engage the Myanmar government. Our only counsel is that we have to take into account that this is a country with a complex history and a complex society,” Tandon added.
ASEAN does not recognise Myanmar’s military government, and its senior leaders are not permitted to attend the grouping’s high-level meetings amid the civil-war-like situation in the country and the 2021 ouster of Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Manila from November 16 to 18 to attend the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit. His agenda features maritime security cooperation, trade and investment ties—including the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement—and bilateral engagements with world leaders.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
November 12, 2026, 8:43 PM IST
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