New Delhi: Departing for his three-day visit to the US, PM Narendra Modi called it an ‘occasion to strengthen our strategic partnership with the US and consolidate ties with Japan and Australia.’ “My visit to the US would be an occasion to strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the USA, consolidate relations with our strategic partners- Japan and Australia – and to take forward our collaboration on important global issues,” PM Modi said in his departure statement.
PM Modi would participate in the first in-person summit of Quad leaders; address the UN Gen Assembly This tour marks the first foreign visit of PM Modi and will be the first one to the US after Prez Biden took charge of the White House. PM Modi would land in Washington on late September 22. Speaking about addressing the UN Gen Assembly, Modi stated that he would focus on pressing global challenges, climate changes and strategies needed to combat terrorism.
As per the schedule, he would be meeting top CEO’s of the US on September 23rd. Sources reported that it is likely that PM Modi would also meet Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc and US Vice President Kamala Harris. Following which he would also hold bilateral meetings with his Australian and Japanese counterparts, Scott Morrison and Yoshihide Suga. Later, President Biden would hold a dinner for the Quad leaders.
On September 24th, PM Modi would have a dialogue with Biden which would be the first in-person bilateral talks to review the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interests. The bilateral talk would be followed by the Quad Summit hosted by Biden at the White House, which is cited as a counter move against China to secure the Indo-Pacific belt. This meet by the US comes in the backdrop of the recent defence pact ‘AUKUS’ signed by the US, UK and Australia to build nuclear-powered submarines.