BIMSTEC Summit postponed by new Thailand Prime Minister due to technical issues
BIMSTEC Summit scheduled in Bangkok on September 4 owing to “technical issues” over formation of the cabinet.
The decision to postpone the Summit was taken on Thursday as all preparations were ongoing till Wednesday. PM Narendra Modi in the light of the current circumstances will not travel to Bangkok. He was also scheduled to undertake a bilateral visit to Thailand on September 3.
Modi is, however, expected to go ahead with the bilateral visit to Singapore on September 5, it has been learnt. Earlier he had plans to fly to Singapore from Bangkok. Ahead of Singapore visit, Ministerial delegations of the two countries will meet to firm up agenda to boost strategic partnership and the visit.
Earlier there were expectations that Modi may meet interim administration head Md Yunus in Bangkok on the sidelines on the BIMSTEC Summit.
The aim of Modi’s Singapore visit is to engage with the new PM Lawrence Wong. The Singaporean economic model has often been admired by Modi and over the last year Singapore’s sovereign wealth funds have increased their presence in India.
If Modi visits Singapore, a few memorandums of understanding across sectors including health are expected to be signed.
Singapore is India’s largest trade partner among Asean countries. It is a leading source of foreign direct investment and among the largest sources for external commercial borrowings and foreign portfolio investment. Bilateral trade expanded after the conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement from $6.7 billion in FY
