What happened
On October 21, 2025, with the 20th East Asia Summit (EAS) set to take place in Kuala Lumpur on October 26, questions remain over whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend the high-level gathering. Since taking office in 2014, Modi has skipped only one EAS — the 17th edition held in 2022 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Ministry of External Affairs is yet to confirm his participation in this year’s summit. Malaysian officials, however, have indicated that PM Modi is expected to attend, joining other world leaders including US President Donald Trump and Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Why it matters to India
Should PM Modi attend, he is expected to meet leaders from BRICS and Quad nations, reaffirming India’s strategic outreach in the Indo-Pacific. Since 2014, PM Modi has been a consistent presence at the EAS, underscoring India’s commitment to ASEAN centrality and multilateral cooperation.