PM Modi to visit Manila for ASEAN Summit; maritime security, trade on agenda
New Delhi, November 15, 2026 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Manila on Monday for a three-day visit to attend the annual India-ASEAN Summit, which is expected to focus on advancing maritime security cooperation alongside expanding economic and commercial partnerships.
He will also attend the annual East Asia Summit, with the Philippines hosting these diplomatic gatherings in its official capacity as the current chair of the 11-member regional bloc.
Throughout the India-ASEAN and East Asia summits, New Delhi intends to advocate intensified naval and maritime coordination among like-minded Indo-Pacific states.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is among the most pivotal geopolitical blocs in the region, with New Delhi joining major global powers, including Washington, Beijing, Tokyo and Canberra, as an official dialogue partner.
"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," stated Rudrendra Tandon, Secretary (East) in the Ministry of External Affairs.
Outlining the itinerary during a formal media briefing, the ministry official noted that PM Modi's programme in the Philippine capital includes attending a dinner hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for visiting dignitaries participating in the summit process, alongside scheduled bilateral meetings.
The Prime Minister will officially attend the ASEAN-India Summit and the East Asia Summit process on November 17.
According to the senior official, strengthening maritime defence mechanisms alongside commercial exchanges will be among the key priorities during the deliberations.
Serving as the premier diplomatic platform across the Asia-Pacific for addressing defence and security challenges, the East Asia Forum has fundamentally shaped regional strategic evolution since its launch in 2005.
Alongside the core Southeast Asian member countries, the wider regional dialogue framework encompasses New Delhi, Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Canberra, Wellington, Washington and Moscow, bringing together all ASEAN member states.
"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 remarked during the interaction.
Emphasising regional stability, the senior diplomat observed that closer India-ASEAN engagement remains vital for building collective resilience against rapid geopolitical developments.
Bilateral relations between New Delhi and the regional association have gained considerable momentum recently, driven by strengthened collaboration across defence, security and economic sectors.
This year's regional conference is being held under the overarching theme "Navigating the Future".
Addressing inquiries concerning the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA), the foreign ministry official confirmed that Indian authorities want an expedited conclusion to the ongoing comprehensive review of the trade pact.
"That conversation is ongoing," he affirmed regarding the bilateral trade discussions.
Addressing questions regarding a planned Quad summit, Tandon stated, "We don't have any information on this at the moment."
Reports noted that last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the next edition of the Quad Summit was scheduled to be held alongside the wider multilateral meetings in the Philippines.
Amid these regional preparations, US Assistant Secretary of State for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson strongly rebutted a recent media report by Politico claiming that the Quad alliance between the United States, India, Australia and Japan was faltering under President Donald Trump's administration.
Addressing the claims on social media, Johnson wrote in a post on X, "This is an utterly ridiculous take.
@SecRubio has formally met with the Quad foreign ministers five times in the past two years, with three meetings in the past six months. The Secretary’s first official call in office was to the Quad. We have regular monthly Quad sherpa calls and meetings. And we are working to formalise a Quad Leaders Summit at ASEAN next week. Fake News!"
The rebuttal was issued in response to a November 14, 2026, Politico report alleging that the Trump administration's policy approach and perceived lack of engagement had left the strategic grouping "on life support".
Building on the ongoing regional preparations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Manila for the ASEAN meetings and the East Asia Summit (EAS), scheduled from November 16 to 18 and hosted this year by the Philippines, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Thursday.
Addressing a special briefing, the MEA stated that officials would not confirm whether PM Modi would meet US President Donald Trump on the sidelines or whether the Quad leaders would meet.
"This is a programme that is quickly being developed and we don't have information as of now about it, except that the PM is attending the ASEAN meet in the Philippines," Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon noted.
Last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the four Quad countries had agreed to hold the summit in Manila, emphasising that it would deliver "concrete actions" rather than serve as a social gathering.
A meeting between PM Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump in Manila would represent their first encounter following the Republican Party's setbacks in the US midterm elections earlier in the month. The meeting would take place amid an ongoing, unsigned India-US trade deal.
The two leaders last met at the G7 Summit in France and spoke on the phone in September. Further interactions are anticipated when PM Modi travels to Florida for the G20 Summit in mid-December.
According to the Philippine government, at least 19 leaders representing sovereign nations and international organisations are scheduled to participate in the Manila summit. These include Chinese Premier Li Qiang, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Elucidating India's diplomatic strategy, Tandon characterised broader diplomatic engagement with the ASEAN collective, currently an 11-member bloc, as a cornerstone of India's Act East policy.
"We strongly believe that, as an Indian Ocean country that abuts this very important Southeast Asian maritime zone, a strong strategic relationship with the ASEAN member states, as a collective as well as individually, is good for both of us," he added.
Bilateral commerce between India and the regional bloc is valued at approximately USD 122 billion, prompting New Delhi to actively pursue a comprehensive review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) to address persistent trade deficits.
Tandon explained that the review process requires more time due to complex multilateral negotiations involving multiple participating nations, although bilateral trade facilitation measures are being pursued independently.
Regarding maritime security in the South China Sea, the MEA reaffirmed that any prospective ASEAN-China Code of Conduct must fully align with international maritime law, specifically citing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Meanwhile, regional diplomatic channels have indicated that ongoing negotiations are likely to extend beyond the projected end-2026 deadline.
In 2022, Manila made history by becoming India's first foreign customer for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, securing a USD 375-million contract for the procurement of three shore-based anti-ship batteries.
In remarks delivered during a think-tank dialogue in the capital last week, Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. indicated that his government aspired to acquire more units. He revealed that Manila had submitted a formal wish list to Indian counterparts aimed at tailoring the defence system to local geographical terrain and operating conditions.
Addressing the political crisis in Myanmar, whose military administration remains barred from high-level ASEAN meetings, Tandon asserted that diplomatic isolation remains "not the right approach".
Pointing out that India shares a 1,643-kilometre land frontier with Myanmar, alongside major infrastructure ventures such as the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, officials confirmed that Myanmar would maintain representation in Manila through a Foreign Ministry official. (ANI)