Joe Biden to Host PM Modi for Bilateral Meeting on 24 September: White House

File photos of PM Modi and US President Joe Biden

(Image: The Quint)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be hosted by United States President Joe Biden for their first in-person bilateral meeting at the White House on 24 September, a senior US official said on Monday, 20 September.

Modi will also be met by US Vice President Kamala Harris on 23 September, news agency PTI reported the official as saying.

The official added, "The Biden-Harris Administration has enhanced our global partnership with India by working together to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific, leading efforts to end the COVID-19 pandemic, and taking concerted action to address the climate crisis.”

Modi and Biden have virtually interacted on multiple occasions since Biden became the US President in January.

This visit comes two years after the Howdy Modi event in Houston, hosted by then President Donald Trump, where Modi had used his “abki baar Trump Sarkar” trope.

Later, PM Modi will also be participating in the UN General Debate.

QUAD Leaders' Summit

President Biden will also host the first-ever-in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit on 24 September, at the White House with Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

The four leaders will review progress made since their first virtual Summit on 12 March this year. The Quad Vaccine initiative announced in March will also be reviewed.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said earlier that Quad meeting will focus on deepening "ties and advancing practical cooperation in areas such as combating COVID-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific", Mint reported.

The focus on a ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific comes amid China contesting territorial disputes in the South and East China seas.

While Beijing claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea, countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. Meanwhile, in the East China Sea, China has territorial disputes with Japan, news agency PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI and Mint)