Kuala Lumpur, Oct 26 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday and conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wishes for a successful ASEAN Summit.

In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote: “Honoured to meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia. Conveyed the best wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a successful ASEAN Summit. Value his thoughts on strengthening our bilateral cooperation and people-to-people linkages.”

Malaysia, as the Chair of ASEAN, is hosting the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits under the theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability” in Kuala Lumpur from October 26–28.

Earlier on Sunday, EAM Jaishankar met his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Malaysia and discussed cooperation in automotive, electronics, semiconductor, defence and shipbuilding.

Following their meeting, EAM Jaishankar in a post on X wrote: “Delighted to meet FM Cho Hyun of RoK, on the sidelines of ASEAN meetings in Malaysia. Appreciate the deepening of our Special Strategic Partnership. Discussed cooperation in automotive, electronics, semiconductor, defence and shipbuilding.”

Meanwhile, PM Modi virtually attended the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)–India Summit on Sunday. PM Modi noted that the cooperation between India and ASEAN is growing rapidly in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), maritime security and the blue economy, and declared 2026 as the ‘ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation’.

In his opening remarks at the ASEAN-India Summit, PM Modi said: “India has stood firmly with its ASEAN friends in every crisis. Our cooperation in HADR, maritime security, and the blue economy is growing rapidly. In light of this, we are declaring 2026 as the ‘ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation’. Along with this, we are strongly promoting bilateral cooperation in education, tourism, science and technology, health, green energy, and cyber security… 21st century is our century. It is India and ASEAN’s century.”

Calling ASEAN the main pillar of India’s Act East Policy, the Prime Minister expressed New Delhi’s support for ASEAN centrality.

Stressing that India and ASEAN share deep historical ties and shared values, PM Modi said: “India and ASEAN together represent nearly a quarter of the world’s population. We not only share geography, but we are also linked by deep historical ties and shared values. We are fellow travellers of the Global South. Our partnership is not just commercial but also cultural.”

EAM Jaishankar, currently on a visit to Malaysia, will represent PM Modi at the 20th East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur on Monday.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated: “The East Asia Summit will provide an opportunity to deliberate on the challenges to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and also exchange views on regional and international developments.”

—IANS

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