Close on the heels of the BRICS summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping could come face-to-face again in Indonesia, if both leaders decide attend the East Asian Summit (EAS) and other meetings with the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) bloc of countries in September. According to sources, Mr. Modi is now considering plans to fly to Jakarta for a very short visit on September 6, and return to India on September 7 just prior to the G20 summit, which begins on September 9.
Earlier, officials had said the Prime Minister’s schedule before the G20 summit was making it difficult for him to attend the meetings in Jakarta as Mr. Modi needs to return to Delhi in time for the arrival of leaders for the G20 summit. After the possibility of a rescheduling of the EAS and ASEAN-India summit, however, so that both are completed by the afternoon of September 7, it is understood that the Prime Minister’s Office is likely to accept the invitation.
The Ministry of External Affairs declined to comment or confirm Mr. Modi’s visit to Indonesia.
