PM Modi, US President Biden to meet in Washington on Sep 24

PTI, Sep 21, 2021, 3:54 PM IST

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden are expected to deliberate on ways to bolster bilateral ties in trade, investment and defence and security in their in-person talks in Washington on September 24, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tuesday.

He said Modi will leave for the US on Wednesday and will return on Sunday.

The prime minister’s delegation will include External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Shringla among others.

At a media briefing, Shringla said the bilateral talks between Modi and Biden are expected to figure ways to deal with radicalisation and terrorism besides major regional issues.

The developments in Afghanistan are also likely to come up during the meeting.

Prime Minister Modi will also meet US Vice President Kamala Harris.

Besides holding bilateral talks with the US leaders, the prime minister will participate in the first in-person summit of the Quad in Washington on September 24 that is expected to broadly focus on contemporary global and regional issues.

In Washington, Modi will meet a number of top executives of major American companies, Shringla said.

Replying to a question on the recent security partnership among the US, Australia and the UK and its possible impact on Quad, Shringla said the two groups are not similar in nature.

The last time Modi visited the US was in September 2019 when he and the then US President Donald Trump addressed the Howdy-Modi event in Houston.

The US is hosting the in-person summit of the leaders of Quad to boost practical cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region as well as to send a strong signal about Washington’s commitment to the grouping.

In March, President Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that vowed to strive for an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, inclusive, anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion, sending an apparent message to China.

Shringla said the leaders will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change and education.

The summit is expected to provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

After concluding his engagements in Washington, Modi will travel to New York to attend the UN General Assembly on September 25.

The prime minister is scheduled to address the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 25 in New York.

India and the US held a series of meetings as part of preparations for Modi’s visit.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a two-day visit to India in July. Before that, US Defence Secretary Lloyd J Austin had paid a three-day visit to New Delhi in March.