PM Modi all set to visit US this week for Quad; key bilateral meetings on the anvil

Prime minister Narendra Modi is all set to visit the United States this week with key focus on a number of bilateral events, the first Quad in-person summit and his United Nations General Assembly address.

The visit adds to already high-level visits, PM Modi has undertaken to the US so far in September 2014, September 2015,  2016, June 2017 and September 2019.

The first leg of the direct visit to the US will be Washington that will see three key bilateral events with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and US President Joe Biden.

It will be the first in-person meeting between PM Modi and President Biden since the new administration took charge in the US in January. Both leaders have spoken three times and were present together at two key virtual meets-  Biden's climate change summit on April 22 and the virtual Quad meeting on March 12. 

PM Modi had spoken to President-elect Biden on November 17 2020 to congratulate him on his victory in the US presidential elections. It was followed by a conversation on February 8 and April 26 2021 on strategic partnership and cooperation against COVID-19. 

On Friday the much-anticipated Quad - India, US, Australia and Japan meeting will be conducted. It is the first in-person Quad meeting and outcomes are much anticipated. 

Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi last week said, "PM will participate in first in-person Quad leaders' summit in Washington on September 24...while PM is in Washington, he will have bilateral with President Biden, and other Quad leaders".

He will be in New York on Saturday for his United Nations General Assembly address and hold bilateral on its sidelines with various countries. It will be his fourth address to the body since 2014. He has addressed the body three times earlier - in 2014, when he proposed the Yoga Day which has grown in scale with each passing year, followed by 2019 and 2020. His 2020 address to the global body was virtual.

The theme for this year’s general debate is "Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people and revitalise the United Nations". The high-level week opens in New York on Tuesday with President Biden addressing it on the first day. 

Both India and the US have been engaging with each other in several sectors. In October both will hold 2+2 foreign and defense ministers dialogue in the US.

The dialogue alternates between the two countries and India has such format for talks with all Quad partner countries and Russia. 

Since the Biden administration took charge, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J Austin and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken both have visited India. John Kerry, the US climate envoy has made two visits- the last being last week to New Delhi.