A first since tariffs: PM Modi & Trump may meet at ASEAN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump are likely to hold talks on the margins of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur on October 26-27. This could be their first face-to-face interaction since Washington imposed steep tariffs on Indian goods earlier this year.

Modi is scheduled to attend the summit while Malaysia has also extended an invitation to Trump. If the US President confirms his participation, the ASEAN meet could serve as the first multilateral forum where the two leaders cross paths after the US decision to slap 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports.

Though neither New Delhi nor Washington has officially confirmed a bilateral meeting, officials indicated that the summit may provide an opportunity for the leaders to address ongoing trade frictions, regional security concerns and wider strategic cooperation.

The ASEAN gathering will bring together key Indo-Pacific players, offering a backdrop for high-level diplomacy amid shifting regional equations.