PM Modi in US: Quad, bilateral with Biden, as India-US ties get a boost

New Delhi, September 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first day in the United States was marked by a Quad meet, a bilateral with US President Joe Biden and an announcement of a slew of major agreements. It was the perfect start to a visit which holds immense promise on a variety of bilateral and global issues. PM Modi, who is in the US on a three-day visit, is also scheduled to attend the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the third day of his visit.

Bilateral with US President

PM Modi met the US President at his home in Wilmington, North Carolina. At the meeting, the PM conveyed his appreciation for President Biden’s unparalleled contributions in giving impetus to the India-US partnership, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The PM also emphasised that India and the US now enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership that covers all areas of human endeavour, driven by shared democratic values, convergence of interests and vibrant people-to-people ties, said the MEA. It added that the two leaders discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest and exchanged views on global and regional issues, including the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

According to a statement issued by the White House, President Biden expressed appreciation for India’s leadership on the world stage, particularly Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in the G20 and the Global South. The US President also praised PM Modi’s commitment to strengthen the Quad to ensure a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

“India is at the forefront of efforts to seek solutions to the most pressing challenges, from supporting the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic to addressing the devastating consequences of conflicts around the world,” the White House said.

President Biden told PM Modi that the US supports initiatives to reform global institutions to “reflect India’s important voice”. The US also backed permanent membership for India in a reformed UN Security Council.

“Both Leaders committed to enhance regular engagements to improve the momentum of collaboration in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, and clean energy. They highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration with like-minded partners, including through the Quad and a U.S.-India-ROK Trilateral Technology initiative launched earlier this year to build more secure and resilient supply chains for critical industries and ensure we collectively remain at the leading edge of innovation,” the White House statement said. The leaders, it said, also endorsed new mechanisms for deeper cyberspace cooperation through the bilateral cybersecurity dialogue.

“President Biden and Prime Minister Modi hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for national security, next generation telecommunications, and green energy applications,” the White House said, adding that the two leaders praised combined efforts to facilitate resilient, secure, and sustainable semiconductor supply chains.

In the space technology sector, the two leaders welcomed the progress towards the first joint effort by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research onboard the International Space Station in 2025.

The other highlight of the Modi-Biden meeting was India’s accession to the Clean Economy and Fair Economy agreements of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), which was launched by the US and 13 other nations in 2022 to counter the hegemonic aspirations of China.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of a bilateral drug policy framework and an MoU, which set the stage for India and the US to expand cooperation and collaboration to disrupt the illicit production and international trafficking of illicit drugs, including synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl and Amphetamine Type Stimulants and illicit use of their precursors.

Boost to Defense ties

The two leaders recognised the progress under the US-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, including ongoing collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems. PM Modi and President Biden also welcomed efforts to expand defence industrial partnerships.

“President Biden welcomed India’s decision to set a uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 per cent on the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector, including on all aircraft and aircraft engine parts thereby simplifying the tax structure and paving the way for building a strong ecosystem for MRO services in India. The Leaders also encouraged the industry to foster collaboration and drive innovation to support India’s efforts to become a leading aviation hub,” the White House said.

“The Leaders hailed the teaming agreement on the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft recently signed between Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the two companies that co-chair the U.S.-India CEO Forum. Building on longstanding industry cooperation, this agreement will establish a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India to support the readiness of the Indian fleet and global partners who operate the C-130 Super Hercules aircraft,” it said, adding that this marks a significant step in US-India cooperation in the defence and aerospace sector.

This is probably the last meeting between the two leaders as Biden is set to leave the White House and retire from public life on January 20, when he will be succeeded by whoever wins the November 5 Presidential elections in the US.

Quad Summit

The Quad Summit was hosted by US President Joe Biden and saw the presence of PM Modi, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida and Australian PM Anthony Albanese. While the Quad is perceived as being primarily a forum to keep a check on China and its activities in the Indo-Pacific, it is never quite openly acknowledged as being so. It is also one of the forums that has brought the India-US ties closer in recent years as both nations grapple with an increasingly aggressive and growing China.

PM Modi said, “We are meeting at a time when the world is surrounded by conflicts and tension. At such a time, it is important for all of humanity that the members of Quad move forward based on democratic values. We are not against anybody. All of us support rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of all disputes.”

“A free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific is our shared priority and shared commitment. We have together taken several positive and inclusive initiatives in areas such as health security, critical and emerging technologies, climate change and capacity building,” he said.

Even though there was no direct mention of China, the reference in the PM’s comments seem to point to China only.

US President Biden while addressing the Quad Summit said, “We are democracies. We are democracies who know how to get things done. That’s why, within the first days of my presidency, I reached out to your nations to propose we elevate the Quad, making it more consequential. Four years later, our four countries are more strategically aligned than ever before. And today, we have announced initiatives that deliver real positive impact for the Indo-Pacific, which includes providing new maritime technologies to our regional partners so they know what’s happening in their waters, launching cooperation between Coast Guards for the first time, and expanding the Quad fellowship to include students from Southeast Asia.”

“While challenges will come, the world will change, but the Quad is here to stay,” the US President said.

Japanese PM Kishida said, “The security environment surrounding ourselves is becoming increasingly severe, and the free and open international order based on the rule of law is under threat. Under this backdrop, it is ever more important for us, the Quad, who share values such as freedom and democracy, to continue to demonstrate our firm commitment to our common vision of FOIP, the free and open Indo-Pacific, to the international community. In order to realise a FOIP, it is crucial to coordinate with the regional countries, and to materialise our vision by concrete actions, I look forward to a fruitful discussion today so that we may listen to the voices of the regional countries, including ASEAN, South Asia and the Pacific Islands, and to further promote practical cooperation that will be a genuine benefit for the region.”

Australian PM Albanese said, “Unlike some international forums, Quad doesn’t have a long history. That means it’s not defined by tradition. But it also means it’s not confined by it. It means that as it develops, it can evolve, and that is, I believe, what we represent in the region, the fastest growing region of the world in human history.”

“With that comes enormous opportunity, but also come some challenges… but the region as a whole, through the Quad, we leverage our significant resources and expertise to contribute in meaningful ways to dealing with challenges facing countries in the region, and we ensure that we assert the view that it is important that security and stability is something that we strive for, as well as shared prosperity in our region,” he said.

“The Quad is about practical, meaningful outcomes in strategic areas ranging from clean energy… health security to critical and emerging technology, cyber resilience, infrastructure, maritime security and, of course, counter terrorism as well. We’ll always be better off when like-minded countries and our four great democracies work together. All of this, the promise in the region, does depend on continued peace and stability and the wise management of strategic competition and disputes,” he said.

“Partnerships like the Quad are crucial, providing us with an avenue to discuss shared vulnerabilities and goals and strengthening the enduring relationships necessary for lasting stability, which is why we commit today to continue to work with our Indo-Pacific neighbours, our friends and our partners,” the Australian PM went on to add.

This Quad summit is the fourth in-person and sixth overall gathering of the leaders since 2021.