US Presidnet Biden and PM Modi to have virtual meeting on Monday: White House

PTI, Apr 10, 2022, 8:08 PM IST

US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi would meet virtually on Monday, the first of its kind between the two leaders that would coincide with the maiden India-US 2+2 dialogue under the Biden Administration, the White House said on Sunday.

“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will meet virtually with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on Monday, April 11 to further deepen ties between our governments, economies, and our people,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki announced.

During the virtual meet, Biden and Modi will discuss cooperation on a range of issues, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, she said.

The two leaders will advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure, Psaki said.

“Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets,” she said.

Biden last spoke to Prime Minister Modi with other Quad Leaders in March.

This meeting will precede the US-India 2+2 Ministerial between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of India, said the White House Press Secretary.a