Modi scheduled to hold talks with Biden on Friday

PTI, Sep 8, 2023, 9:15 AM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden are set to hold bilateral talks on Friday evening with a focus on further solidifying the India-US comprehensive global and strategic partnership.

The two leaders are expected to review ongoing bilateral cooperation in areas of clean energy, trade, high-technology, defence and how the two countries can contribute in dealing with some of the pressing challenges facing the world. Modi is also likely to hold separate bilateral meetings on Friday with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth.

The US President is visiting New Delhi to attend the G20 summit that is being held on September 9 and 10. It will be his first visit to India as the US President. The last US President to visit India was Donald Trump in February 2020.

Biden is scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Friday evening and he will leave for Vietnam on Sunday afternoon at the end of the G20 summit. The focus of the talks between PM Modi and President Biden is likely to be on reviewing the ongoing bilateral cooperation in various key areas including clean energy, defence and high-technology, said a source.

The two sides may also deliberate on having a more liberal visa regime.

Prime Minister Modi and President Biden had touched upon possible cooperation in developing next generation small modular reactor technologies in a collaborative mode in their talks in Washington in June and it is expected that the issue may figure at the meeting on Friday. Ahead of Biden’s visit, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US commends Modi’s leadership of the G20.

”We commend Prime Minister Modi for his leadership of the G20 this year and we are committed to helping ensure that India has a successful G20 host as they host (the summit) this year,” she said.

”So, that’s going to continue to be our commitment. During Prime Minister Modi’s visit here in June, the President (Biden) and the prime minister shared their determination to deliver on shared priorities at the summit,” she said in response to a question.

Jean-Pierre said the President is ”very much looking forward to continuing that work with the Prime Minister and other leaders later this week as we head out tomorrow.” The G20 member countries represent around 85 percent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population. The grouping comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the UK, the US and the European Union (EU).