In Philippines, PM Narendra Modi meets President Donald Trump, shares (half) hug
Soon after his arrival in the Philippines for the 15th ASEAN-India Summit and 12th East Asia summit, PM Narendra Modi met informally met a number of foreign leaders.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the Philippines today as he began a foreign trip that will see him attend the 15th ASEAN-India Summit and 12th East Asia summit.
Soon after his arrival in the Filipino capital of Manila, PM Modi informally met a number of foreign leaders, including United States of America President Donald Trump, with whom the Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting tomorrow.
In photos tweeted out by news agency ANI and the PM's personal handle, PM Modi could be seen warmly greeting President Trump as they two shared a half-hug and chatted with each other.
Interacting with world leaders in Manila. pic.twitter.com/qh0pdcFyXP- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 12, 2017
#FLASH PM Narendra Modi meets US President Donald Trump in Manila #ASEANSummit pic.twitter.com/HofsRTZOip- ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017
PM Narendra Modi was also seen interacting with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister. This is PM Modi's first visit to the Philippines since become Prime Minister.
Among the other leaders that PM Modi met on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit and the East Asia Summit were Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Malaysian PM Najib Razak, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe.
Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and POTUS Donald Trump with PM Narendra Modi #ASEANSummit #Manila pic.twitter.com/eMthX5nt70- ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017
Apart from attending the ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit, PM Modi is also expected to meet with the Indian diaspora in the Philippines and visit the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Mahavir Philippines Foundation Inc (MPFI).
The ASEAN grouping comprises Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. The 10-member ASEAN and India comprises a total population of 1.85 billion people which is one-fourth of the global population.
#WATCH: Leaders attending #ASEANSummit in #Manila pose for a family photograph pic.twitter.com/xDtjCAMkvV- ANI (@ANI) November 12, 2017
The East Asia Summit, on the other hand, includes all the 10 ASEAN counties plus India, China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Russia.
MEETING WITH TRUMP
On Monday, PM Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with President Donald Trump. This will be the two leaders' first one-on-one engagement since Japan proposed setting up a quadrilateral alliance comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia.
In their meeting, Modi and Trump are likely to discuss a host of key issues of mutual interest including the security scenario in the region. Trump on Friday praised India's "astounding" growth after it opened up its economy and also lauded Modi, saying he has been working successfully to bring the vast country and its people together.
Narendra Modi's meeting with Donald Trump comes up in the backdrop of growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea and south Asian region. Donald Trump has said it, on a few occasions, that the US favours a larger role for India in the strategically key Indo-Pacific region.
The use of the term "Indo-Pacific" by Trump has led to speculation that it may have something to do with Washington preparing the ground for a revival of the so-called Quadrilateral strategic alliance between the US, Japan, Australia and India to counter China's rise.
(With agency inputs)