‘Very Productive’: PM Modi Holds Bilateral Talks With Joe Biden To Enhance India-US Ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that he was happy to welcome United States President Biden at his official residence where they held ‘very productive’ talks with discussion on furthering economic, people-to-people linkages between India and the US. Biden arrived in the national capital today to participate in the G20 Summit, which will be chaired by PM Modi. Biden, accompanied by Janet Yellen, held a bilateral meeting with PM Modi at his residence, 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.

“Our meeting was very productive. We were able to discuss numerous topics which will further economic and people-to-people linkages between India and USA. The friendship between our nations will continue to play a great role in furthering global good,” PM Modi posted about his talks with Biden.

Happy to have welcomed @POTUS @JoeBiden to 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. Our meeting was very productive. We were able to discuss numerous topics which will further economic and people-to-people linkages between India and USA. The friendship between our nations will continue to play a… pic.twitter.com/Yg1tz9kGwQ

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 8, 2023

Upon his arrival in India, President Biden was welcomed at the airport by Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation, Gen VK Singh (retd). US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti was also present at the airport with his daughter. During his visit, President Biden engaged with a group of dancers who performed a traditional dance to welcome him.

According to Reuters, the US press corps was sequestered in a van, out of sight of the two leaders – an unusual situation for the reporters and photographers who cover the US President both at home and abroad. 

US President Joe Biden and other G20 leaders met in New Delhi on Friday for their annual summit, despite deep divisions among heavyweight members and China’s Xi Jinping’s absence, calling the bloc’s relevance into question.

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The Indian capital had been spruced up and partially depopulated for the event, as the host nation worked to reach last-minute agreements on contentious issues such as the Ukraine conflict, climate change, and global governance.

President Biden, who visited Prime Minister Modi in Washington in June, is placing emphasis on the importance of personal connections in successful diplomacy. However, most of their interactions will remain out of the public eye, as White House reporters accompanying Biden were denied access to the leaders’ meeting.

The two leaders have engaged in more than a dozen in-person or virtual meetings since 2021 as they seek to strengthen the US-India partnership, addressing shared concerns including an increasingly assertive China and the significant challenges posed by climate change, artificial intelligence, global supply chain resilience, and other global issues.

During his visit for the G20 Summit, President Biden will adhere to the Covid-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to the White House. It’s worth noting that First Lady Jill Biden, aged 72, tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the week. President Biden, aged 80, underwent testing for the virus on both Monday and Tuesday, with negative results.