New Delhi, 12 September 2023 (TDI): The President of the United States (US), Joe Biden arrived in India on September 8, 2023, to participate in the 18th Group of 20 (G20) Summit in India from September 9-10.
India took over the chair of the G20 Summit in December 2022. With the absence of Chinese President, Xi Jinping, and Russian President, Vladimir Putin, the US sought to enhance its ties with the countries participating in the G20 Summit in India.
President Biden on his arrival was warmly welcomed at the airport by Bollywood-styled purple-dressed dancers on American pop music.
Shortly after his arrival, President Biden engaged in a discussion with Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. The duration of the meeting was 52 minutes. President Biden applauded India’s G20 chairmanship for displaying the significance of the G20 forum.
The meeting took place at Prime Minister Modi’s residence which emphasized the positive and progressing ties between the US and India.
After the meeting, a joint statement was released by the White House outlining the meeting’s key points.
India-US Strategic Partnership
During the meeting, both leaders expressed their willingness to further enhance and expand the US-India Strategic Partnership in every aspect of the complex global agenda, which would be founded on trust and mutual comprehension.
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Moreover, they reiterated the common values of both countries like freedom, democracy, human rights, inclusivity diversity, and equal opportunities for the states’ citizens and such principles enhance both state’s alliance.
Quad Leaders’ Summit
Furthermore, both leaders reiterated the significance of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogues (Quad) in supporting an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, inclusive, and strong enough to withstand challenges.
Prime Minister Modi appreciated the US’s choice to take a leading role in the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiatives Trade Connectivity and Maritime Transport component, after the US decision to join the Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership in June 2023.
Prime Minister Modi also expressed his anticipation of President Biden’s participation in the Quad Leaders’ Summit which India will host in 2024.
UNSC Permanent Membership
During the meeting, President Biden reiterated his support for India to become a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) permanent member. Additionally, he welcomed India’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC in 2028-2029.
Furthermore, both leaders agreed to an expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories of UNSC membership.
India-US ICET
Moreover, both leaders emphasized the importance of technology in strengthening their strategic partnership.
Both praised the ongoing efforts of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (ICET) to develop technology ecosystems and value chains that are open, secure, and accessible.
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Joint International Space Station:
The US President congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon.
President Biden also suggested Joint Space Cooperation between the two states. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) & the National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA) have started collaborating for a Joint International Space Station in 2024.
India-US Global Challenges Institute:
President Biden and Prime Minister Modi expressed their satisfaction in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Indian universities, represented by the Council of Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT Council), and the Association of American Universities (AAU).
This Memorandum marks the establishment of the India-US Global Challenges Institute with an initial Joint commitment of about $10 million.
This institute’s mission is to foster science and technology cooperation in areas such as sustainable energy, agriculture, healthcare research, pandemic preparedness, semiconductor technology, AI, telecommunications, and quantum science.
POW/MIA and AnSI MOA
The leaders agreed upon the extension of a Memorandum of Arrangement between the US Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency and the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI).
The purpose of this agreement is to assist in the retrieval of the remains of US service members who participated in World War II and lost their lives in India.
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Similarly, both leaders also agreed to cooperate in the fields of medical sciences, information technology, cyber security, environmental security, electric transportation, renewable energy, nuclear energy, and women empowerment.
