Washington DC: US President Joe Biden, who hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House on Friday, said the relationship between the two sides “can help us solve a lot of global challenges”. .
“Actually in 2006 when I was Vice President, I said that by 2020 India and the US would be among the closest countries in the world,” Biden said.
“Mr Prime Minister, we will continue to build on our strong partnership,” he said.
The US President also mentioned the Indian heritage of Vice President Kamala Harris during the inaugural segment of their meeting, IANS reported.
Biden also recalled his visit to India’s financial capital Mumbai as the then US Vice President.
“The Indian press asked me if I have any relatives in India… Somebody from the Indian press said you have five bidens in India…,” he said in a light-hearted manner, ANI reported.
Prime Minister Modi thanked the US President for the warm welcome.
“I remember our conversations in 2014 and 2016. At that time you shared your vision for the relationship between India and the US. I am glad to see that you are working to realize this vision.”
Describing today’s bilateral summit as significant, Prime Minister Modi said: “We are meeting at the beginning of the third decade of this century. Your leadership will certainly play an important role in shaping this decade.”
Prime Minister Modi said that the seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and the US.
“I see that under your leadership, the seeds have been sown for the expansion of Indo-US relations,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi said that technology is becoming a driving force.
“We have to use our talents to leverage technology for the greater global good,” he said.
Referring to the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation of India by the US President, Prime Minister Modi said: “Gandhi ji talked about trusteeship, a concept that is very important for our planet in times to come.”
Prime Minister Modi said that trade between India and the US is of importance in itself, linking the two sides can complement each other in this decade.
“America has many things that India needs and India has many things that can be useful for America,” he said. Trade will be a major sector in this decade,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi will also attend the Quad Summit at the White House.
The US President will also host the Quad Leaders Summit in person for the first time, which will be attended by Prime Minister Modi, his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
Prime Minister Modi will conclude his US visit on Saturday by addressing the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
During his address, he is expected to focus on pressing global challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorism and the need to tackle climate change, among other important issues.
This is the first foreign visit of Prime Minister Modi beyond the neighborhood since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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He is accompanied by a high-level delegation which includes National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and other senior officials.
The prime minister, who is visiting the US for the seventh time since taking office in 2014, arrived in Washington on Thursday on a three-day visit.
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