PM Modi, Biden to hold virtual meet today; here’s what you need to know 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the US President Joe Biden today at 8:30 pm virtually. In this meeting, both the heads of states will review bilateral cooperation and exchange views on recent developments in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific and global issues of mutual interest, as per the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement.

The statement read, “The virtual meeting will enable both sides to continue their regular and high-level engagement aimed at further strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.” This virtual meeting will precede the India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue to be led by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on the Indian side and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the US side.

Top points to know 

• Prime Minister Modi and President Biden will discuss mutual cooperation on ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering climate crisis, bolstering global economy and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, as per a White House release.
• Biden will also continue close consultations on the consequences of Russia’s “brutal war” against Ukraine and mitigating the “destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets.”
• Psaki said in her earlier daily news conference, “We also believe both sides will continue our close consultations on the consequences of President Putin’s brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating the impact by addressing energy and food prices. Obviously, it could cover a range of topics, but we expect that to be a central one.”
• White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that both the leaders will advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure.
• The virtual meet between Modi and Biden will take place prior to the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. This meeting will also be attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• This is the first such dialogue between the two countries under Biden administration. Jaishankar and Singh arrived in Washington DC over the weekend.
• Topics such as enhancing people-to-people ties and education cooperation; building diverse, resilient supply chains for critical and emerging technology; scaling up climate action plan and public health cooperation and developing trade and investment partnership aimed at increasing prosperity for working families.
• The Ukraine crisis is also likely to come up at the 2+2 dialogue.
• “It is also a chance to highlight the growing Major Defense Partnership between the United States and India,” the US State Department said.
• Rajnath Singh will also meet Defence Secretary Austin in the Pentagon to discuss defence cooperation via defence industrial collaboration and capability building through military-to-military engagements.

Also read: PM Modi to hold virtual meeting with US President Joe Biden on Monday

Also read: Rajnath Singh, Jaishankar reach US to attend 2+2 ministerial dialogue