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WASHINGTON/NEW DELHI: United States President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a virtual meeting on Monday ahead of the 2+2 bilateral engagement between top foreign policy and defence officials of the two countries. The announcement was made simultaneously by both New Delhi and Washington on Sunday.
TOI has learnt that the meeting was sought by the US side while the two countries were finalising the agenda for the 2+2 and that it’s meant to focus on a range of issues, and not just Ukraine.
While the US said Biden will discuss the consequences of Russia‘s “brutal war” with Modi, India refrained from specifically mentioning the Ukraine issue in the official announcement.
The White House on Sunday said US President Joe Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to be held on Monday, is aimed “to further deepen ties between our governments, economies, and our people”.
They will discuss cooperation on a range of issues, including ending the Covid-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, the White House statement said. It added that the leaders will advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure. The virtual meeting will precede the US-India 2+2 ministerial between secretary of state Antony Blinken and secretary of defence Lloyd Austin and external affairs minister S Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh.
“The two leaders will review ongoing bilateral cooperation and exchange views on recent developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and global issues of mutual interest,” the MEA said in a statement, adding the meeting will enable both sides to continue their regular and high-level engagement aimed at further strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Biden, who has described India’s position on Ukraine as shaky, is expected to push India into reviewing its position on Russia’s actions even as India continues to discuss with Moscow a rupee-ruble trade payment mechanism for trade that the US fears may strengthen efforts by Russia to undermine the dollar-based international payment system. The US has warned India that a more explicit strategic alignment with Russia will have “long-term and significant consequences” for New Delhi.
The two sides will discuss the familiar basket of issues, including strengthening the global economy and security in the Indo-Pacific, the White House said, but added that President Biden “will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets”.
India has abstained from 10 UN votes relating to the issue even as it had been implicitly critical of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the get-go, while at the same time disapproving Nato’s eastward push.
Biden last spoke to Modi with other Quad leaders in March at a meeting in which India resisted US efforts to put the Russia-Ukraine issue on the agenda. Soon after, the US President described India’s stand on the issue as “somewhat shaky”.
TOI has learnt that the meeting was sought by the US side while the two countries were finalising the agenda for the 2+2 and that it’s meant to focus on a range of issues, and not just Ukraine.
While the US said Biden will discuss the consequences of Russia‘s “brutal war” with Modi, India refrained from specifically mentioning the Ukraine issue in the official announcement.
The White House on Sunday said US President Joe Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to be held on Monday, is aimed “to further deepen ties between our governments, economies, and our people”.
They will discuss cooperation on a range of issues, including ending the Covid-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, the White House statement said. It added that the leaders will advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure. The virtual meeting will precede the US-India 2+2 ministerial between secretary of state Antony Blinken and secretary of defence Lloyd Austin and external affairs minister S Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh.
“The two leaders will review ongoing bilateral cooperation and exchange views on recent developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and global issues of mutual interest,” the MEA said in a statement, adding the meeting will enable both sides to continue their regular and high-level engagement aimed at further strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Biden, who has described India’s position on Ukraine as shaky, is expected to push India into reviewing its position on Russia’s actions even as India continues to discuss with Moscow a rupee-ruble trade payment mechanism for trade that the US fears may strengthen efforts by Russia to undermine the dollar-based international payment system. The US has warned India that a more explicit strategic alignment with Russia will have “long-term and significant consequences” for New Delhi.
The two sides will discuss the familiar basket of issues, including strengthening the global economy and security in the Indo-Pacific, the White House said, but added that President Biden “will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets”.
India has abstained from 10 UN votes relating to the issue even as it had been implicitly critical of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the get-go, while at the same time disapproving Nato’s eastward push.
Biden last spoke to Modi with other Quad leaders in March at a meeting in which India resisted US efforts to put the Russia-Ukraine issue on the agenda. Soon after, the US President described India’s stand on the issue as “somewhat shaky”.
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