Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will arrive at 11.30am on Wednesday, the first Southeast Asian leader to pull in for the three-day diplomatic jamboree comprising the India-ASEAN summit, nine bilateral meetings, and Republic Day Parade on January 26.
Heads of nine ASEAN countries will arrive on Wednesday, while Indonesia President Joko Widodo will land on Thursday just in time for the summit where India will be ready to show off its big Act East policy, in a bid to bolster business and strategic ties with the 10 Southeast Asian countries to mark 25 years of its cooperation with the bloc.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold three bilateral meetings Wednesday: with his Vietnamese counterpart; with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte; and with state counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi at Hyderabad House.
On Thursday, the day of India-ASEAN summit, Modi will host Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Singapore Prime Minister Lee HsienLoong, and Sultan of Brueni Hassanal Bolkiah. Later, the leaders and their spouses will be received at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, where President Ram Nath Kovind will host a luncheon before they head for the retreat session themed on maritime cooperation and security in Modi’s presence.
This will be followed by a walk around the Mughal gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan and a group photo session of the leaders. Thereafter, the plenary session of the summit, where every leader will deliver a speech, will take place at Taj hotel in Chanakyapuri from 5pm.
The leaders will release commemorative stamps and attend a photo exhibition. The leaders will then attend a cultural show and the dinner hosted by Modi.