US President Joe Biden told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he is determined to make America’s relations with India one of the closest on the planet, stating that the two nations can and will achieve so much together.
The two leaders are in Japan for the second in-person Quad Leaders Summit.
Biden : US and India
Following the Quad Summit, US President Joe Biden met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bilateral meeting and commended India’s Covid immunisation efforts.
President Biden expressed his delight that the two nations had struck an agreement for the US Development Finance Corporation to continue supporting India’s vaccine manufacturing and sustainable energy programmes.
“I am pleased that the Indo-US Vaccine Action Program is being renewed,” he remarked.
“Our countries can and will accomplish a great deal together. I am dedicated to making the US-India relationship one of the closest we have on the planet, “said Vice President Biden.
According to the US President, the two leaders also discussed the continued impacts of Russia’s violent and unjustified invasion of Ukraine and its impact on the whole global international order.
President Biden stated, “The US and India will continue to communicate closely on ways to reduce these negative consequences.”
The United States, together with its allies, notably Japan, has been one of the most vocal opponents of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Prime Minister Modi, US Vice President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Australia’s newly-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had earlier met in person for the second time to discuss developments in the Indo-Pacific region and global problems of mutual concern.
Purpose of this Summit
The Quad summit is taking place under the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
It also comes when ties between China and the Quad have deteriorated, with Beijing aggressively questioning democratic norms and resorting to forceful commercial tactics.
In the face of China’s increasing military manoeuvres in the area, India, the United States, and numerous other world powers have discussed the need to ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam claim the disputed South China Sea sections; In contrast, China claims practically all of it. In the South China Sea, Beijing has constructed artificial islands and military outposts.
Biden announced the ambitious Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) on the eve of the summit, a programme aiming at closer cooperation among like-minded countries in sectors including sustainable energy, supply-chain resilience, and digital commerce.
The IPEF’s launch is anticipated to send a message to the region that the US is committed to advancing a robust economic policy in response to China’s aggressive trade approach.
President Biden convened the first-ever virtual Quad Leaders Conference in March of last year, followed by an in-person summit in Washington in September. In March, the Quad leaders conducted a virtual meeting.
In 2024, Australia will host the next Quad Summit.
Amid China’s expanding military presence in the critical area, India, Japan, the United States, and Australia formed the Quad in November 2017 to devise a new strategy to protect the essential water routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any interference.
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