Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually addressed the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, where he congratulated Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim for chairing the summit and called ASEAN a major pillar
of India’s Act East Policy.
“India and ASEAN together represent almost a quarter of the world’s population. We do not just share geography; we are also connected by the thread of deep historical ties and shared values. We are fellow travelers of the Global South,” said PM Modi at the global summit.
The Prime Minister appreciated Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos for fulfilling the role of India’s country coordinator and welcomed East Timor as a new member of ASEAN. He also used the opportunity to express condolences to Thailand over the passing of the country’s Queen Mother Sirikit at the age of 93.
My remarks during the ASEAN-India Summit, which is being held in Malaysia. https://t.co/87TT0RKY8x
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 26, 2025
“Even in this period of uncertainties, the India-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has continued to make steady progress. Our strong partnership is emerging as a robust foundation for global stability and development. The theme of this year’s ASEAN Summit is inclusivity and sustainability, which is clearly reflected in our shared efforts,” he continued.
’21st Century Is Our Century’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also emphasised that India had stood firmly with its ASEAN allies in every crisis and would continue to do so. “Our cooperation in HADR, maritime security and the blue economy is rapidly expanding. In this context, we are designating 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation,” he added.
“At the same time, we are strengthening collaboration in Education, Tourism, Science and Technology, Health, Green Energy, and Cyber Security. We will continue to work together to preserve our shared cultural heritage and reinforce People-to-People ties.”
The PM concluded his speech by saying, “The 21st century is our century. It is India and ASEAN’s century. I am confident that the aim of ‘ASEAN Community Vision 2045’ and ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ will develop a bright future for the entire humanity.”
On Thursday, PM Modi confirmed that he would not be travelling to Kuala Lumpur for the 47th ASEAN Summit but would attend it virtually. It was widely expected that the ASEAN Summit would provide an opportunity for a meeting between PM Modi and US President Donald Trump, who landed in Malaysia today, as relations between New Delhi and Washington remain strained over punitive tariffs.
