New Delhi, Oct. 2 -- India is yet to take a call on the level of its participation in meetings related to the Asean Summit in Malaysia later this month, though preparations are underway for a possible visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The Asean Summit, set to be held in Kuala Lumpur during October 26-28, will be accompanied by other key meetings such as the Asean-India Summit and the East Asia Summit that have usually been attended by the Prime Minister in recent years. However, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity that a final decision on the level of Indian participation will be made closer to the dates. The external affairs ministry, however, is engaged in preparations for a possible visit by Modi, including an advance recce, the people said. They noted that there had been precedents of the Indian PM skipping Asean Summit-related meetings and a senior leader being deputed to represent the country. If Modi decides to go ahead with the visit to Malaysia and US President Donald Trump accepts Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's invitation to the Asean Summit, the two leaders could come face-to-face for the first time since Modi's visit to Washington in February. Since then, India-US relations have come under unprecedented strain because of Trump's move to impose 50% tariffs on Indian goods, including a 25% punitive levy over Russian energy purchases. There has been a partial thaw in relations after several social media exchanges between Modi and Trump, who recently spoke on phone for the first time since June. This was followed by meetings between senior Indian and American officials aimed at resuming negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement. Malaysian PM Anwar told reporters last month that Modi would attend the Asean Summit-related meetings, but the people cited above said a decision on going ahead with the visit to Malaysia would also hinge on the status of India-US relations. The grounds have to be adequately prepared for the visit, including addressing the current strains in ties between New Delhi and Washington, the people said. Modi and Trump have not met since the US administration imposed one of the highest tariffs on India and despite the easing of strains in recent weeks, senior US officials such as commerce secretary Howard Lutnick have continued with their withering criticism of India. In his latest salvo, Lutnick said the US needs to "fix" several countries such as India and Brazil for not opening their markets and taking actions that harm American interests. The US administration has also taken several other steps that have impacted bilateral ties, including the ending of a sanctions waiver that allowed India to take a stake in Iran's strategic Chabahar port....