Thursday, 23 September 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
As he left for his three-day US tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said his interaction with world leaders, including President Joe Biden, will strengthen the Indo-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and consolidate ties with Japan and Australia.
Issuing a statement before leaving for the US, Modi said he will conclude his visit with an address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) focusing on the pressing global challenges, including the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism, climate change and other important issues.
The PMO tweeted his picture just before Modi boarded the plane for the US where he will take part in a wide range of programmes. He will be accompanied by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar besides Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and some other top officials there.
“I will be visiting the USA from 22-25 September, 2021, at the invitation of His Excellency President Joe Biden of the United States of America. During my visit, I will review the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with President Biden and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” said the PM.
“I am also looking forward to meeting Vice-President Kamala Harris to explore opportunities for cooperation between our two nations particularly in the area of science and technology,” he said.
Modi said he will participate in the first in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit along with President Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Premier Yoshihide Suga.
The Summit provides an opportunity to take stock of the outcomes of the Quad leaders’ Virtual Summit in March this year and identify priorities for future engagements based on our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
“I will also meet Prime Minister Morrison of Australia and Prime Minister Suga of Japan to take stock of the strong bilateral relations with their respective countries and continue our useful exchanges on regional and global issues,” Modi said.
“My visit to the US would be an occasion to strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the USA, consolidate relations with our strategic partners — Japan and Australia — and to take forward our collaboration on important global issues,” he said in his departure statement.
The Afghanistan crisis and its implications, China’s growing assertiveness, ways to stem radicalism and cross-border terrorism and further expansion of India-US global partnership are expected to be the central focus of the first in-person meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Biden in Washington on September 24.
Giving details of his schedule, Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla had said on Tuesday the developments in Afghanistan will be extensively discussed in the bilateral talks between Modi and Biden and the Indian side will convey that Washington needs to continue focus on that country.
Modi will also participate in the Covid-19 global summit being hosted by President Biden, the Foreign Secretary said.
After concluding his engagements in Washington, Modi will travel to New York on the evening of September 24 and address the 76th session of the UN General Assembly the next day. The prime minister is also scheduled to meet a number of top executives of major American companies.
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.
