By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
There will be no high-fiving between Donald Trump and Narendra Modi in Kuala Lumpur as world leaders are set to make their way for the Asean meeting in Kuala Lumpur, beginning this weekend.
The Indian Prime Minister has confirmed he will not be physically attending the 47th ASEAN Summit, leading to speculation in the Indian media that he wants to avoid bumping into the US president.
In a social media update, Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim said Modi informed him of the decision during a phone call on Wednesday night.
“He informed me that he would attend the summit virtually. I respect his decision and extend my Deepavali greetings to him and the people of India,” he said.
India will most probably be represented at the regional meeting by External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
The US-India relations have been tense ever since the Trump administration imposed a hefty tariff rate on India for buying Russian oil.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump has once again claimed that India plans to significantly reduce its imports of Russian oil, citing assurances from Modi. He said India’s phase-out of Russian oil purchases would be gradual but noticeable by the end of the year.
“India, as you know, has told me they are going to stop… it’s a process. You can’t just stop (buying oil from Russia). By the end of the year, they’ll be down to almost nothing; almost 40% of the oil. India, they’ve been great. Spoke to Prime Minister Modi yesterday. They’ve been absolutely great,” he said.
New Delhi, however, has denied any such agreement with Washington. Indian officials have reiterated that the nation’s energy policy focuses on ensuring price stability and securing energy supplies to meet domestic demand. India has consistently emphasised that its decisions are guided by consumer interests and the need to maintain affordable energy amid a growing population.
The United States has already imposed a 50% tariff on certain Indian imports, attributing half of that to New Delhi’s continued purchases of Russian crude oil. Meanwhile, Washington has warned that China could face tariffs of up to 155% starting November 1.
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