MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi termed Prime Minister Modi’s US visit as “landmark”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday concluded his three-day visit to the US where he addressed the 76th session of the UNGA, attended the first in-person Quad summit and held bilateral and multilateral engagements, including with US President Joe Biden, US Vice President Kamala Harris and his counterparts from Australia Scott Morrison and from Japan Yoshihide Suga. On Saturday at around 9:15pm (IST), PM Modi left for India.
In a tweet just before his departure for home, Modi said that he had productive bilateral and multilateral engagements over the last few days in the US. Over the last few days, have had productive bilateral and multilateral engagements, interaction with CEOs and the UN address. I am confident the India-USA relationship will grow even stronger in the years to come. Our rich people-to-people linkages are among our strongest assets, he said on Twitter.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi termed Prime Minister Modi’s US visit as “landmark”.
Here are some key highlights of PM Modi’s meetings and engagements during his US visit:
• He met top American CEOs of five companies and invited them to step up their investments in the country. PM Modi held one-on-one meetings with top five American CEOs, including Indian-Americans Shantanu Narayen from Adobe and Vivek Lall from General Atomics.
• Prime Minister Modi held first in-person meeting with US Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House during which they decided to further cement the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed global issues of common interest, including threats to democracy and the Indo-Pacific. PM Modi described India and America as “natural partners”.
• Prime Minister Modi on September 24 met Biden for the first bilateral meeting during which the two leaders discussed a wide range of priority issues, including combating Covid-19, climate change and economic cooperation.
• Prime Minister Modi also told Biden that he has brought documents to prove that the Bidens in India were related to him, as the two leaders jokingly discussed the matter during their first bilateral meeting at the White House. Prime Minister Modi replied in affirmative when Biden asked if he was related to the Bidens in India. In his opening remarks, going off script, Biden referred to the Biden family in Mumbai.
• Leaders of the United States, Japan, India and Australia met for Quad Summit and pledged to work together for ensuring peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and the world. Opening the summit, President Biden said the four democracies have come together to take on common challenges from Covid-19 to climate. This group has democratic partners who share world views and have common vision for the future, he said.
• PM Modi on Saturday addressed the UNGA session and said that he represents a country which is proud to be known as the mother of democracy and cited his own rise from a tea seller at a railway station to that as prime minister to underscore the strength of India’s democracy. He also said that when Indians make progress, it also gives an impetus to the development of the world as its growth is linked with the globe.
• PM Modi will bring home 157 artefacts and antiquities, which were handed over to India by the US during his visit, with both he and President Biden expressing commitment to strengthening efforts to combat theft, illicit trade and trafficking of cultural objects. The list of 157 artefacts includes a diverse set of items ranging from the one-and-a-half metre bas relief panel of Revanta in sandstone of the 10th CE to the 8.5 cm tall, exquisite bronze Nataraja from the 12th CE.
(with inputs from PTI)
