Prez Joe Biden lands in Delhi for G20 Summit, first stop is PM Modi’s residence
US President Joe Biden landed in New Delhi on Friday evening for the G20 Summit and will soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg in the heart of the national capital.
Ahead of President Biden’s arrival in Delhi, American national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the bilateral meeting will see progress on issues discussed during Modi’s state visit to Washington DC in June, including on the GE jet engine deal, India’s decision to procure Predator drones, cooperation on 5G/6G, and civil nuclear domain.
Biden will also discuss the issue of “critical, fundamental values” that the US stands for in his conversation with Modi.
In a briefing on Air Force One, as Biden travelled from DC to Germany where he halted for a refuelling stop on his way to Delhi, Sullivan also said that the US had a “deep stake in stewarding the G20 and making sure that it remains a central mechanism for global coordination on all the major challenges” since it would take over the presidency of the grouping in 2025-2026.
Sullivan said that coordinators had been working “all day and all night” on a statement recently, but there was still “some distance to travel” before a final communique. He added that US was ready to “do its part to deliver a joint statement”, and it thought there was joint statement to be had. “The question is: Will every country step up, be responsible, be constructive? If the answer to that is yes, then we will get a joint statement. But it’s too soon to tell,” Sullivan said, in an obvious reference to what US sees as Russian and Chinese obstructionism.
Amid reports that the sidelines of the summit will see I2U2 (the grouping that includes India, Israel, UAE and US) unveil a major infrastructure announcement, Sullivan said, “We believe that connectivity from India, across the Middle East, to Europe is incredibly important and will bring a significant number of economic benefits, as well as strategic benefits, to all of the countries involved.”
Responding to a query on the nature of the bilateral meeting with Modi, and access to the press, Sullivan pointed out that it will take place at the PM’s residence.
“This is not your typical bilateral visit to India with meetings taking place in the Prime Minister’s office and an entire program. This is the host of the G20 hosting a significant number of leaders, doing so in his home, and he has set out the protocols he’s set out.” But Sullivan promised to provide a “transparent and comprehensive” readout of the meeting.