Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the East Asia and RCEP summits in Bangkok today. These will be his last engagements before he flies back home at probably the last meeting is the most awaited one also….RCEP will be game changer deal if it happens, but India has , quite rightly so, raised its concerns and demanded that any deal that goes through should be beneficial to all and not heavily loaded in any ones favour.

Besides, he will also hold meetings with Japan Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, Vietnam PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Australian PM Scott Morrison in Bangkok.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to steer Indias negotiations at the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or the RCEP. RCEP is a comprehensive free trade agreement being negotiated between the 10 ASEAN Member States and ASEAN’s free trade agreement partners Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sought to dispel the notion that India is as reluctant to join the RCEP trade deal. In a detailed interview to a Thailand Daily he said ,India remains committed to a comprehensive and balanced outcome from the ongoing RCEP negotiations but India would like a win-win outcome.

He added that addressing India’s concerns over unsustainable trade deficits is important. India made it clear that opening of its vast market must be matched by openings in some areas where Indian businesses can also benefit.