PM Modi to visit Philippines on Nov 16-17 for ASEAN, East Asia Summits: Maritime security, trade on agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Manila on November 16-17 to participate in the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit and the 21st East Asia Summit (EAS), with maritime security, regional connectivity, trade and defence cooperation expected to feature prominently in discussions. The Philippines, which holds the ASEAN chairmanship this year, will host both summits on November 17. PM Modi's visit comes at the invitation of Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and marks his 13th participation in the ASEAN-India Summit since assuming office in 2014. He had attended last year's summit in Kuala Lumpur virtually.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Prime Minister is scheduled to attend a dinner hosted by President Marcos for visiting leaders ahead of the summit proceedings. Bilateral engagements with participating leaders are also expected to take place on the sidelines. The government is additionally exploring the possibility of an interaction between PM Modi and members of the Indian diaspora in the Philippines. The visit assumes significance as India and ASEAN have designated 2026 as the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation, with both sides seeking to expand collaboration in maritime security, safety, connectivity and the blue economy.

Several initiatives have been undertaken during the year to advance this partnership. The second ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise was conducted between September 28 and October 2. Earlier, in February, naval chiefs and delegations from nine ASEAN member countries participated in MILAN 2026, the International Fleet Review and the ninth Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) Conclave of Chiefs in Visakhapatnam. India also hosted the seventh East Asia Summit Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation in Kochi on October 5-6. The conference, which has been organised by India since 2015, remains one of its key initiatives to promote maritime cooperation among regional partners.

Defence engagement has also gathered momentum. The inaugural ASEAN-India Defence Think Tank Forum was organised at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in New Delhi on October 14-15. India has also conducted training programmes for women peacekeepers from ASEAN nations, while naval port calls, joint military exercises and defence equipment exports to the region have expanded. What is on the agenda at the ASEAN-India Summit? At the 23rd ASEAN-India Summit, leaders are expected to take stock of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and assess progress under the ASEAN-India Plan of Action for 2026-2030.

The discussions are also likely to explore opportunities for greater cooperation in areas such as disaster resilience, trade and investment, digital transformation, regional connectivity and development partnerships. The meeting is expected to result in announcements of new initiatives and programmes aimed at strengthening institutional engagement and expanding practical cooperation between India and the 11-member ASEAN grouping. At the East Asia Summit, Modi is expected to exchange views with regional leaders on key international and geopolitical developments. India is likely to reiterate its commitment to an open, inclusive and rules-based Indo-Pacific, while emphasising freedom of navigation and adherence to international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

New Delhi is also expected to advocate stronger regional cooperation to tackle terrorism and transnational crimes, including cyber-enabled fraud, human trafficking, drug trafficking and money laundering. India-ASEAN ties and the Act East Policy India established dialogue relations with ASEAN in 1992, with the partnership subsequently elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2012 and a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. The grouping remains central to India's Act East Policy and forms an important pillar of its broader Indo-Pacific vision. More than 40 dialogue mechanisms, coordinated through different Indian ministries, currently facilitate engagement between the two sides across multiple sectors.

The year 2026 also marks the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which India was among the first ASEAN Dialogue Partners to sign. The Philippines has adopted the theme 'Navigating Our Future, Together' for its ASEAN chairmanship this year. India's development partnership with ASEAN India's engagement with Southeast Asia has also expanded through financial assistance, research collaboration, educational exchanges and capacity-building programmes. Since 2014, more than 100 projects involving an investment of approximately $35 million have been supported through the ASEAN-India Fund, the ASEAN-India Green Fund and the ASEAN-India Fund for Digital Future.

The ASEAN-India Science and Technology Development Fund has received $10 million in funding, supporting 120 joint research and development projects and 220 research fellows. Under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation framework, 237 Quick Impact Projects have been approved across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Educational and skill-development initiatives have also formed a key component of the partnership. More than 500 students from ASEAN countries have received scholarships to study at Nalanda University, where a Centre for South East Asian Studies is now operational. Additionally, ASEAN member countries have utilised 10,235 training slots under India's Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.

These include 6,948 civilian and 3,287 defence training opportunities. Modi's Manila visit also comes ahead of an important milestone in India-ASEAN relations. The year 2027 will mark 35 years of their dialogue partnership, five years of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the 60th anniversary of ASEAN's establishment.