NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden are expected to meet on May 24 during the Quad Summit in Tokyo. The White House has issued a statement saying that President Biden will also travel to South Korea before he heads for Japan. “This trip will advance the Biden-Harris administration’s rock-solid commitment to free and open Indo-Pacific,’’ White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday.
Modi and Biden are likely to discuss opportunities to strengthen security relationships, enhance economic ties and expand close cooperation to deliver practical results. “In Tokyo, President Biden will meet the leaders of the Quad grouping of Australia, Japan, India. We look forward to having further details of this trip soon,’’ Psaki added.
Biden had spoken about his in-person meeting with Modi when he interacted with him virtually in a prelude to the 2+2 meeting, for which External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had travelled to Washington DC.
Even though the Ukraine issue is likely to be discussed during the Quad Summit, India has made its position clear and the Quad leaders have accepted its stand. Indo-Pacific, trade ties and China’s aggression are likely to be discussed during the meeting.
US Secretary of State Tony Blinken has said his country is making an effort to strengthen ties with India. “Now, we are investing in that effort. I think there is a growing strategic convergence between the United States and India,” he said.
“I think this partnership has the potential to be one of the most important and foundational partnerships that we have going forward over the next decades,” he said. Blinken added that Biden has spent a lot of time engaging with Modi and India’s leadership. “We have energised the Quad that brings India together with Australia and Japan and us. This has been a very important vehicle for strengthening our collaboration.”