Prime Minister Narendra Modi touched down at Philadelphia International Airport on Saturday morning, marking the start of his three-day visit to the United States. His visit comes at a critical time, as he is set to engage in key diplomatic meetings, including the Quad Summit and a bilateral dialogue with US President Joe Biden.
Before departing India, PM Modi expressed his eagerness to participate in the Quad Summit alongside President Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The Quad, which has emerged as a strategic alliance, focuses on promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
PM Modi’s bilateral meeting with President Biden, scheduled for later today, will serve as a platform for the two leaders to explore new avenues to strengthen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
This relationship has seen significant growth in recent years, spanning various sectors such as defense, trade, and technology. Notably, India and the US renewed their defense cooperation agreement for another decade in 2015, and in 2016, the US designated India as a Major Defense Partner (MDP).
The bilateral trade between the two nations has also reached a significant milestone, with goods and services exchanges amounting to $190.1 billion in 2023.
The Quad Summit, which will take place in Wilmington, Delaware—President Biden’s hometown—will bring together the four leaders to discuss regional security and collaboration in the Indo-Pacific. This sixth summit holds particular significance for India, as the nation will host the next Quad Summit. The leaders will focus on reinforcing their vision of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
The last Quad Summit, held in Hiroshima, Japan, highlighted the group’s commitment to upholding sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Following his engagements in Wilmington, PM Modi will head to New York. On September 22, he is scheduled to address a large gathering of the Indian diaspora at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale.
With over 4.4 million people of Indian origin residing in the US, PM Modi’s address is anticipated to be a significant moment for the community.
During his visit, PM Modi will also participate in a Business Roundtable with CEOs from leading American companies working in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, and biotechnology.
PM Modi will attend the Summit of the Future (SoTF) at the United Nations on September 23. The summit, themed ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow,’ is a pivotal event as the UN approaches its 80th anniversary in 2025.
The summit’s outcome, A Pact for the Future, will address key global issues such as health, energy security, climate change, and economic inequalities, with the Global South seeing it as an opportunity to advance its interests on the global stage.
(Inputs from ANI)