In Kuala Lumpur, Jaishankar vows to deepen ties across Asia

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday met with key regional leaders on the sidelines of the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, reaffirming India’s commitment to deepening its partnerships across Asia.

Jaishankar met Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and conveyed the best wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the successful conduct of the ASEAN Summit.

“Honoured to meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia. Conveyed the best wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a successful ASEAN Summit. Value his thoughts on strengthening our bilateral cooperation and people-to-people linkages,” Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting.

The discussions with the Malaysian leadership focused on enhancing economic cooperation, trade facilitation and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Earlier, Jaishankar also met South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and discussed ways to boost collaboration in key sectors, including automotive, electronics, semiconductors, defence and shipbuilding. “Delighted to meet Cho Hyun, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea. Appreciate the deepening of our special strategic partnership,” Jaishankar said.

In another meeting, the External Affairs Minister held talks with Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, where both sides reviewed the global and regional situation and explored new avenues to strengthen India–Singapore cooperation.

“A very useful exchange on the global and regional scenario, as well as opportunities for strengthening India-Singapore cooperation,” he said.

Jaishankar’s back-to-back meetings came as PM Modi, through a virtual address, declare 2026 as the ASEAN-India year of maritime cooperation, underscoring New Delhi’s growing engagement with Southeast Asia under its “Act East” policy.