Prime Minister Narendra Modi today embarked on a four-day visit to the United States, with a bagful of hopes, including shaping an energised Indo-Pacifc Quad, butressed by key meetings with US President Joe Biden, and his counterparts from Japan and Australia.
Modi will participate in the first in-person summit of the Quad with President Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga.
In Washington, PM Modi will also be reviewing the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with Biden, break bread over thorny global issues including Afghanistan. He will then fly to New York to address the 76th United Nations General Assembly.
In his departure statement, Modi said that he is also looking forward to meeting US Vice President Kamala Harris to explore opportunities for cooperation between the two nations, particularly in the area of science and technology.
The Quad meeting assumes a great importance given the present circumstances in Asia, especially Afghanistan. The summit would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the four leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
"The Summit provides an opportunity to take stock of the outcomes of our Virtual Summit in March this year and identify priorities for future engagements based on our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region," said Modi.
In his meetings with Morrison and Suga in the US capital, PM Modi said that he will be taking stock of the strong bilateral relations with the respective countries and continue the useful exchanges on regional and global issues.
"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.
As part of their ongoing efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, the Quad partners will also be reviewing their vaccine initiative announced in March. They 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.
PM Modi said that his address at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 25 would focus on the pressing global challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic, the need to combat terrorism, climate change and other important issues.
The theme for this year’s General Debate is ‘Building Resilience through hope to recover from Covid-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations’.
This is PM Modi's seventh visit to the US since 2014 and his meeting with Biden would be the first since the latter assumed the presidency in January, earlier this year. The two leaders had last met in 2014 when Biden was the US vice president.
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