Chronologies
India - East Asia
Chronology from Jan 2023 to Dec 2023
: EAM Jaishankar visits Singapore to review bilateral cooperation, explore collaboration in emerging areas including digitalization and skills development under the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable, and exchange views on regional and global developments. He calls on President President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong, and Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean. He also meets Minister for Defense Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Home Affairs and Law K Shanmugam and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong.
: EAM Jaishankar visits Vietnam for the 18th Meeting of the India-Vietnam Joint Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific, and Technological Cooperation co-chaired with Bui Thanh Son, minister of foreign affairs of Vietnam, reviews the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He also meets members of the Indian community and unveils Mahatma Gandhi’s Bust in Ho Chi Minh City.
: 400;">: Modi meets South Korea’s President Yoon in Delhi on the sidelines of the India-hosted G20 Summit. “The leaders noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations. They reviewed progress on various areas of bilateral Special Strategic Partnership, including in trade and investment, defense production, semiconductors and EV battery technology.”
: 400;">: Modi chairs the 20th ASEAN-India Summit during which he declares, “ASEAN is the central pillar of India’s Act East Policy,…India fully supports ASEAN centrality and ASEAN’s outlook on the Indo-Pacific,…[and] ASEAN holds a prominent place in India’s Indo-Pacific initiative… The 21st century is Asia’s century. It is our century.” Modi also “emphasized the need to complete the review of ASEAN-India FTA (AITIGA) in a time bound manner…[and] presented a 12-point proposal for strengthening India—ASEAN cooperation covering connectivity, digital transformation, trade and economic engagement, addressing contemporary challenges, people-to-people contacts and deepening strategic engagement…Two Joint Statements, including one on Maritime Cooperation, and the other on Food Security were adopted.”
: 400;">: Modi travels to Jakarta, Indonesia for bilateral visits including with President Joko Widodo of Indonesia and to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit. This is the first ASEAN-India Summit since the elevation of India-ASEAN relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022.
: 400;">: An Indian army contingent of 40 plus personnel participates in multinational joint exercise Ex Khan Quest in Mongolia followed by the 15th edition of the bilateral joint military exercise Nomadic Elephant-23.
: 400;">: EAM Jaishankar travels to Bangkok for the 12th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting of Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) Mechanism on 16 July, and attends the BIMSTEC Foreign Ministers’ Retreat on July 17.
: 400;">: EAM Jaishankar visits Indonesia for the Foreign Ministers’ Meetings under the ASEAN framework for the ASEAN-India summit, the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum. He also meets with his bilateral counterpart.
: 400;">: India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh visits Malaysia to meet with counterpart Defense Minister Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan to focus on further consolidating bilateral defense cooperation and the Enhanced Strategic Partnership.
: 400;">: India’s defense secretary pays official visit to Myanmar for meetings with the Chairman, State Administrative Council Sr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing in Nay Pyi Taw, Defense Minister of Myanmar Gen (Retd.) Mya Tun Oo and held meetings with Commander-in-Chief, Myanmar Navy Adm. Moe Aung, and Chief of Defense Industries Lt. Gen. Khan Myint Than. According to an Indian press release, the focus of discussions was “maintenance of tranquility in the border areas, illegal trans-border movements and transnational crimes such as drug trafficking and smuggling…[and] [b]oth sides reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that their respective territories would not be allowed to be used for any activities inimical to the other.”
: 400;">: Norodom Sihamoni, king of Cambodia, makes his first state visit to India. Modi meets him and “resolve[s] to strengthen the bilateral partnership with Cambodia across diverse areas including capacity-building.” King Sihamoni thanked Modi “for India’s ongoing initiatives in development cooperation, and conveyed his appreciation and best wishes for India’s Presidency of G20.”
: 400;">: Modi holds a meeting with Prime Minister Chris Hipkins of New Zealand on the sidelines of the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation, their first interaction.
: 400;">: Modi visits Australia for “discussions focused on cooperation in defense and security, trade and investment, new and renewable energy, green hydrogen, critical minerals, education, migration and mobility and people to people ties.” The prime minister notes that “I am visiting Australia within two months of my friend Prime Minister Albanese’s visit to India. This is our sixth meeting in the past one year.”
: 400;">: Modi meets for the first time with Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka. On behalf of Fijian President Ratu Wiliame Maivalili Katonivere, Rabuka bestows Modi with the highest honor of the Republic of Fiji, the Companion of the Order of Fiji.
: 400;">: Modi, jointly with PNG Prime Minister Marape, hosts the 3rd Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III Summit). Launched in 2014, FIPIC involves India and 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs): Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
: 400;">: Modi visits Papua New Guinea for a bilateral meeting with PNG Prime Minister James Marape and the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation, co-hosted by PNG. This was the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Papua New Guinea, and Marape in a “special gesture” received Modi at the airport. conferred Prime on him the Grand Companion of the Order of Logohu (GCL), the highest civilian award of PNG.
: 400;">: Modi holds a bilateral meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio on the sidelines of the G7 Summit, the second bilateral meeting of the year following Kishida’s visit to India in March, where the leaders “agreed on ways to further strengthen the bilateral Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Discussions focused on areas of education, skill development, tourism, Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE), green hydrogen, high technology, semiconductors and digital public infrastructure.”
: 400;">: Modi meets President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol on the sidelines of G7 Summit to review “the progress of India-Republic of Korea Special Strategic Partnership and discusses ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in areas of trade & investment, high technology, IT hardware manufacturing, defense, semiconductors and culture.” The leaders note the 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations.
: 400;">: Modi meets Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on the sidelines of the G7 Summit and notes “the steady progress achieved in bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership…”
: 400;">: Modi attends G7 Summit in Hiroshima, and participates in the third in-person Quad leaders meeting.
: 400;">: India’s Defense Minister (Raksha Mantri) Rajnath Singh meets China’s State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Gen. Li Shangfu in New Delhi. The Raksha Mantri “categorically conveyed [emphasis added] that development of relations between India and China is premised on prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders. He added that all issues at the LAC need to be resolved in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and commitments. He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and disengagement at the border will logically be followed with de-escalation.”
: 400;">: South Korea’s Foreign Minister Park Jin visits India to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations and to review the “special strategic partnership.”
: 400;">: EAM Jaishankar meets Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi. Jaishankar said talks with his Chinese counterpart “focused on addressing current challenges to the bilateral relationship, especially peace and tranquility in the border areas.” “There are real problems in that relationship that need to be looked at, that need to be discussed very openly and candidly between us. That’s what we sought to do today,” Jaishankar told reporters.
: 400;">: Jaishankar visits Australia where he met counterpart Foreign Minister Penny Wong, as well as Minister of Defense Marles and Prime Minister Albanese and delivered the keynote address at the inaugural Raisina@Sydney Conference.
: 400;">: External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar makes his first visit to Fiji to speak at the 12th World Hindi Conference and meet Prime Minister Rabuka after which they held a joint press conference.
: 400;">: 11th India-Mongolia Joint Working Group meets for the first time in person since the pandemic in New Delhi to review bilateral defense cooperation.