PM Modi Heads to Indonesia's Jakarta for ASEAN-India, East Asia Summits

Meanwhile, US President Biden is skipping the meet and sending Vice President Kamala Harris in his place

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to be in Indonesia on Wednesday, 6 September, even as India prepares to host the G20 Summit in a few days.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@narendramodi)

Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to be in Indonesia on Wednesday, 6 September, even as India prepares to host the G20 Summit in a few days.

Tight schedule: Modi will land in the capital city of Jakarta where he will participate in the 20th ASEAN Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS), the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

• It is a one-day visit with Modi expected to depart from Indonesia on Thursday, 7 September.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Jakarta, Indonesia on September 6 to 7 at the invitation of Joko Widodo, the President of the Republic of Indonesia," the MEA said in a statement.

Why it matters: While the ASEAN-India Summit will review the progress of relations and "chart the future direction of cooperation," the East Asia Summit is expected to be an opportunity for the "exchange views on issues of regional and global significance."

Of note: US President Joe Biden is skipping the meet and sending Vice President Kamala Harris in his place, with experts pointing out that the move doesn't bode well for the US' Indo-Pacific strategy.

Fun fact: ASEAN is an international body comprising the following ten Southeast Asian countries, according to Britannica:

• Brunei

• Cambodia

• Indonesia

• Laos

• Malaysia

• Myanmar

• Philippines

• Singapore

• Thailand

• Vietnam

Know more: The "ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth" theme for the summit reportedly reflects Indonesia's vision for the bloc as a key hub of economic development.