Prime Minister Narendra Modi met US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the Quad summit here on Saturday and the two leaders are expected to discuss a range of issues, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“A special start to an important visit. President Joe Biden extends a warm welcome to Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence in Greenville, Delaware,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a post on X.
A special start to an important journey.@POTUS @Joe Biden Prime Minister accorded a warm welcome @narendra modi At his residence in Greenville, Delaware. pic.twitter.com/zsvBWsGCe3
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 21, 2024
During the meeting, the two leaders “reviewed and identified new avenues to further deepen the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership”.
Biden welcomed PM Modi at his residence, where the two leaders hugged each other. Biden held PM Modi’s hand and led him inside the house.
“A warm and special start to an important visit. In a special gesture, @POTUS Joe Biden hosted PM @narendramodi at his residence. PM @narendramodi was given a warm welcome by @POTUS Joe Biden ahead of their bilateral meeting in Greenville, Delaware,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had earlier said that the Ukraine war and Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Kyiv are expected to figure prominently in the bilateral meeting.
Prime Minister Modi, in his departure statement in New Delhi, had said, “My meeting with President Biden will allow us to review and identify new avenues to further deepen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership for the benefit of our people and the global good.”
Prime Minister Modi was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra. The US delegation included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs TH Jake Sullivan and US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.
Prime Minister Modi, who is here as part of his three-day visit to the United States, will also hold separate bilateral meetings with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who are here for the Quad summit.
President Biden is expected to launch a number of new initiatives at the annual Quad summit being hosted in his hometown of Wilmington to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and explore ways to find a peaceful solution to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
The four-member Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue advocates maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. Beijing sees it as an anti-China grouping.
In his departure statement in New Delhi, Prime Minister Modi said he looks forward to joining his colleagues President Biden, Prime Minister Albanese, and Prime Minister Kishida for the Quad Summit.
He said, “This forum has emerged as a leading grouping of like-minded countries working for peace, progress and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The Quad leaders are also set to unveil a “landmark” initiative to prevent, detect, treat cancer and reduce its impact on patients and their families.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi was welcomed by a large gathering of Indian expatriates upon his arrival at the Philadelphia International Airport, from where he departed for Wilmington.
PM Modi greeted a group of people dressed in traditional attire, many of whom were also carrying the Indian tricolour. He walked around the fenced area, gave autographs to some of them and shook hands with others.
“A warm welcome to Philadelphia! We deeply treasure the blessings of our diaspora,” PM Modi said in another post on X.
“The Indian community has made its mark in the US and made a positive impact in various sectors. It is always a pleasure to interact with them,” the Prime Minister said. “Let us celebrate the bonds that connect our countries!” From Wilmington, Prime Minister Modi will travel to New York on September 22 to attend an Indian community event in Long Island and address the Future Summit at the United Nations General Assembly the next day.
The Prime Minister’s other engagements include attending an Indian diaspora community event in Long Island and participating in a roundtable with CEOs of US companies working on cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Quantum Computing and Semiconductors.
Prime Minister Modi said, “I look forward to interacting with the Indian community and important American business leaders, who are key stakeholders and add vibrancy to the unique partnership between the world’s largest and oldest democracies.”
The Prime Minister said, “The Future Summit is an opportunity for the global community to chart a way forward for the betterment of humanity. I will share the views of one-sixth of humanity, as they have the largest stake in the world in a peaceful and secure future.”
According to the UN, the ‘Summit of the Future’ will bring together leaders from different countries to forge a new international consensus on how to “build a better today and a safer future.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
