New Delhi/Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meetings with President Joe Biden and other foreign leaders during his US visit next week besides addressing the UNGA in New York, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
“PM (Modi) will participate in the first in-person Quad leaders’ summit in Washington on Sept 24. On Sept 25, he will address the general debate of the UN General Assembly at its 76th session. While the PM is in Washington, he will also have a bilateral meeting with President Biden,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during a press briefing in Delhi.
“We also look forward to bilateral meetings with other Quad leaders as well as bilateral meetings with some other leaders while he is in New York on September 25,” Bagchi added.
This will be PM Modi’s first meeting with President Biden since the latter came into office in January. Washington reassessing its ties with Islamabad in view of Pakistan “hedging its bets’ in Afghanistan is likely to be discussed.
The Prime Minister would be participating, along with President Joseph R Biden, Australian PM Scott Morrison, Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga in the Leaders’ Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework in Washington DC on September 24. During the discussion, the leaders will discuss regional issues of shared interest and will also review the progress made since their first virtual Summit that was held on 12 March 2021. A major Quad concern is protecting the Indo-Pacific region as a buffer against China’s increasing predominance.
“Hosting the leaders of the Quad demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” announced the White House in a statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki last week.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to address the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 25 September in New York.
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 revitalize the United Nations.
