Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold wide ranging talks with US President Joe Biden on bilateral issues as well as global developments, including the conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, when the two leaders meet on the margins of the Quad Summit in Delaware later this week.
At a press briefing on Thursday ahead of the PM’s visit to the US from September 21-23, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the meeting between the two leaders gives the PM an opportunity to thank President Biden for his pioneering role in strengthening the India-U.S relationship and for the several new initiatives such as the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies.
This is likely to be Mr Modi’s final official meeting with Mr Biden, who has announced that he will not be running for re-election.
Agreements related to the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and the India-US Drug Framework will also be exchanged between the two countries during Mr Modi’s visit. He will also hold bilateral meetings with Japan Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the sidelines of the Quad Summit.
Asked if a meeting between the PM and former US President Donald Trump was also scheduled, Mr Misri said,”There are many meetings which we are trying to fix. Right now, I will not be able to tell you about any specific meeting. We are looking from all angles as to how much time we have and with whom we can hold meetings. We will keep updating you about the meetings.” Mr Trump, who is in the running for the US presidency as the Republican Party candidate, earlier announced that he would be meeting Mr Modi during the latter’s visit to America.
Mr Misri said the PM’s visit combines very important bilateral and multilateral aspects. There will be interactions with a variety of foreign partners at the level of the Prime Minister. There will be interaction with the large Indian diaspora in the US and there will be engagement with a host of business and industry leaders, amongst others.