(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, at a gala dinner hosted by Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte here yesterday ahead of this year's India-Asean and East Asia Summits.
In a tweet attached with a picture, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said Modi spoke to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and Chinese Premier Li at the gala dinner to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Kumar said Modi engaged in a 'warm and cordial conversation with Li.
'Engaging conversation with a friend. PM @narendramodi with Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister of Russia at the Gala Dinner #Manila, he said in a separate tweet.
Another tweet by Modi showed him smiling warmly and shaking hands with President Trump.
Modi arrived here earlier in the day on a three-day visit to the Philippines to attend the 15th India- Asean and the 12th East Asia summits to be held here tomorrow.
This is the first prime ministerial visit from India to the Philippines in 36 years after the visit of Indira Gandhi in 1981.
This year marks the 25th year of the India-Asean dialogue partnership and the golden jubilee of the formation of the Asean regional bloc.
Asean comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Ahead of the summits, Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with Duterte today. He is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Trump.
Similar meetings between Modi and other visiting leaders are also being arranged on the sidelines of the summits.
Modi is also likely to participate in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Leaders' Meeting and Asean Business and Investment Summit.
The business meeting is being held to boost New Delhi's close co-operation to further enhance trade ties with Asean member-states that constitutes a significant 10.85% of India's overall trade.
'During my first visit to the Philippines, I look forward to have a bilateral meeting with Duterte. I will also have interactions with other Asean and East Asia Summit Leaders, Modi said in his departure statement.
'I am confident that my visit to Manila will give a new boost to India's bilateral relations with the Philippines and also further strengthen the politico-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars of our engagement with Asean.
Meanwhile officials from India, Australia, Japan and the US met here and held consultations 'on issues of common interest in the Indo-Pacific region.
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