PM holds 'fruitful' bilateral discussions with Biden at his Greenville residence

The bilateral talks between US President Joe Biden and PM Modi concluded, with the two leaders discussing how to improve the partnership between the countries and exchanging views on regional and global issues.

In Short

• Discussions focused on ways to deepen India-US ties
• PM, Biden exchaged views on global and regional issues
• PM Modi arrived in US for 3-days visit for Quad Summit

The bilateral talks between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wilmington, Delaware have concluded, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Saturday.

"PM @narendramodi & @POTUS@JoeBiden held bilateral talks in Wilmington, Delaware today. In a special gesture, the meeting was hosted by President Biden at his residence," wrote MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on X.

The talks focused on improving US-India bilateral partnerships in "areas of mutual interest", Jaiswal added. The two leaders also shared their views on regional and global issues which included the Indo-Pacific region.

PM Modi left the Biden residence following the talks and posted on X noting that the talks were "extremely fruitful".

"I thank President Biden for hosting me at his residence in Greenville, Delaware. Our talks were extremely fruitful. We had the opportunity to discuss regional and global issues during the meeting," PM Modi wrote.

President Biden also took to X after the talks concluded to note that the India-US partnership was "stronger" than any time in history.

"The United States' partnership with India is stronger, closer, and more dynamic than any time in history. Prime Minister Modi, each time we sit down, I'm struck by our ability to find new areas of cooperation. Today was no different," he wrote.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Ambassador of India to the US Vinay Mohan Kwatra. The US team included Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs T H Jake Sullivan and Ambassador of the US to India Eric Garcetti.

PM Modi arrived in the US earlier today for a three-day visit, where he will attend the annual Quad summit and address a high-profile conclave at the United Nations.

The Prime Minister received a grand welcome at the Philadelphia International Airport, where a large number of Indian community members gathered to greet him. He interacted with the community before proceeding to a hotel in Delaware, where he will be staying.

At the Hotel duPont in Delaware, he was welcomed with music, dance, and greetings. A group of women also performed the Garba dance at the hotel, where the Prime Minister once again interacted with the Indian community.

After greeting the Indian community, the PM remarked that it was 'always a delight' to interact with them and also expressed his excitement about an Indian community event scheduled for Sunday.

He tweeted, "The Indian community has distinguished itself in the USA, making a positive impact across diverse sectors. It’s always a delight to interact with them. At around 9:30 PM India time on Sunday, 22nd September, I will address the Modi and US programme in New York City. Let’s celebrate the bonds that connect our nations!"

PM Modi is also scheduled to meet Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in one-on-one interactions.

The Quad summit will take place in Wilmington in Delaware -- President Biden's hometown-- where new initiatives are expected to be unveiled.

In addition to the summit, the prime minister will participate in a roundtable with CEOs of leading American tech firms specialising in Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and semiconductors, as well as join an Indian diaspora event in Long Island, New York.

Ahead of his visit, Modi had expressed his enthusiasm to engage with leaders of the Quad, including President Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, to further the group’s mission of fostering peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

Following the summit in Wilmington, PM Modi will head to New York to participate in the 'Summit of the Future' at the UN General Assembly and deliver a speech on global peace and development.

(With inputs from PTI)