As world leaders arrive in New Delhi a day ahead of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held bilateral meetings at his residence on Friday, 8 September with US President Joe Biden, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth.
The meetings came on the sidelines of the G20 Summit for which scores of world leaders arrived in Delhi on Friday.
What was said: Taking to X after holding talks with Biden, PM Modi said: "We were able to discuss numerous topics which will further economic and people-to-people linkages between India and USA. The friendship between our nations will continue to play a great role in furthering global good."
After concluding talks with Jugnauth, PM Modi said that this is a special year for India-Mauritius relations as we mark 75 years of diplomatic ties between our nations.
What was discussed in talks between Modi-Biden?
In a statement on the bilateral talks between Biden and PM Modi, The White House in a statement said:
"US President Biden and PM Modi welcomed the signing of an MoU between Indian universities, represented by the Council of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT Council), and the Association of American Universities (AAU) to establish the India-US Global Challenges Institute, with a combined initial commitment of at least $10 million. The Global Challenges Institute will bring together leading research and higher-education institutions from across our two nations, including beyond AAU and IIT membership, to advance new frontiers in science and technology, spanning collaboration in sustainable energy and agriculture, health and pandemic preparedness, semiconductor technology and manufacturing, advanced materials, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, and quantum science.
Reaffirming their commitment to building resilient technology value chains and linking defence industrial ecosystems, the leaders recommitted their administrations to promoting policies and adapting regulations that facilitate greater technology sharing, co-development, and co-production opportunities between Indian and US industry, government and academic institutions. They also welcomed continued engagement through an inter-agency monitoring mechanism under the auspices of the bilateral Strategic Trade Dialogue, launched in June 2023."
Outcomes from India-Bangladesh meeting: The two countries signed the following memorandums:
Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Digital Payment mechanisms between National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Bangladesh Bank.
Memorandum of Understanding on renewal of the Cultural Exchange Program (CEP) between India and Bangladesh for 2023-2025.
Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and Bangladesh Agriculture Research Council (BARC).
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