PM Modi to have one-on-one meeting with Biden before high-level talks: White House

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden will have a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies.

 “This visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together,” the White House said on Wednesday.

 “The visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and shared resolve to elevate the technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space,” it said.

According to the White House, the two leaders will discuss ways to further expand educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as work together to confront common challenges from climate change to workforce development and health security.

The day would begin with President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden greeting Prime Minister Modi for the Official Arrival Ceremony on the South Lawn which includes a 21-gun salute.

Several thousand Indian Americans are expected to attend the welcome ceremony on the South Lawns. There are chances that the rain might spoil the welcome ceremony, but it is unlikely to dampen the spirit of thousands of Indian Americans who have converged in the American capital from far and near.

Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff would be attending the welcome ceremony. Thereafter, the leaders of the two largest democracies of the world will hold a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, wherein they are expected to make some remarks.

Modi and Biden are scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House.

They are likely to take questions from journalists. Normally each side takes two questions, but sometimes it can be one from each side. During the last Indian State visit of former prime minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009, the two sides took one question each.

The prime minister would then head to the Congress to deliver an address to the joint meeting of the US Congress, which would be attended by Congressmen and senators in the presence of several hundred Indian Americans from the visitor’s gallery.

Biden and the first lady will greet Modi on arrival for the State dinner in the evening. A tent pavilion is being installed on the South Lawns of the White House, big enough to accommodate more than 400 guests.

The guest lists would be announced about an hour before the reception and the dinner, which would be followed by entertainment.

While the two sides have managed to keep the deliverable a closely guarded secret, it is expected that India and the US would emerge as best friends after the visit.

Preparations for the visit have been going on for more than six months now and a lot of efforts have gone to ensure that the deliverables are historical in nature.
The major areas include space, education, defence, technology, climate change and health.