PM Modi in US: President Biden to host PM Modi for first in-person bilateral talks and more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to meet US President Joe Biden for the first in-person bilateral meeting at the White House.  This will be the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took charge as the US President on January 20. Both the leaders will review “robust and multifaceted” bilateral trade and investment relations between India and the US. They will also discuss the current regional security situation due to the recent developments in Afghanistan during this meeting. PM Modi and President Biden will also review the progress made under the Quad Vaccine initiative.

PM Modi’s US trip itinerary is jampacked as he met US Vice President Kamala Harris yesterday. This was followed by his meeting with the CEOs of Adobe, Blackstone, First Solar, General Atomics and Qualcomm. Here’s a lowdown on the highlights from PM Modi’s US visit so far

Also read: PM Modi in US: Meeting with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, CEOs, QUAD Summit in agenda

1. US President Joe Biden will host PM Modi for the first in-person meeting at the White House today to strengthen ties between India and the US. This will be the first in-person meeting between the two heads of states after Biden became the US President.

2. PM Modi extended US Vice-President Kamala Harris an invitation to visit India while acknowledging her election to the post as an “important and historic event”.  “Your election as vice president of the US has been an important and historic event. You are a source of inspiration for many across the world. I am confident that under President Biden and your leadership, our bilateral relations will touch new heights,” PM Modi said.

3. The PM thanked the US for helping India during the second COVID-19 wave that hamstrung India’s healthcare system. “I express my gratitude to the US for extending a helping hand to India when India was hit by the second wave of COVID-19,” the Prime Minister said in a joint statement with US VP Kamala Harris.

4. He addressed US as a natural partner of India since they share similar values and interests, adding coordination and cooperation between the two countries has increased.

5. On the first day of his US trip, he held one-to-one meetings with Cristiano Amon (CEO of Qualcomm), Mark Widmar (CEO of First Solar), Shantanu Narayen (President and CEO of Adobe), Stephen Schwarzman (Chariman, CEO and co-founder of Blackstone), and Vivek Lall (CEO of General Atomics).

6. During the meeting with the CEOs, policy measures like National Infrastructure Pipeline, National Monetisation Pipeline, PLI scheme for renewable energy sector, PLI scheme for electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM), Digital India and use of emerging technologies in sectors like R&D, education and health were discussed.

7. “There is a clear message from the business leaders of their appreciation of the recent reform measures in India that has made a more business-friendly environment, liberal investment rules across different sectors and they felt that there were significant investment opportunities in India,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said.

8. PM Modi met Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga on September 23. During this meeting, both the Prime Ministers exchanged views on global developments including in Afghanistan besides reinstating their commitment towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

9. PM Modi and Suga reached a consensus on strengthening bilateral security and defence corporation in areas like defence equipment and technologies. Both the Prime Ministers also reaffirmed the joint commitment to facilitate the timely completion of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor.

10. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison met PM Modi on the sidelines of the Quad Summit. During the course of these meetings, the Prime Ministers discussed issues of bilateral, regional and global importance. They expressed satisfaction at the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).

11. PM Modi will conclude his US visit with an address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). His address at the UNGA will focus on issues like terrorism, climate change among others.

Also read: India and US 'natural partners', says PM Modi after meeting with Kamala Harris