Biden Eager to Visit India and strengthen ties with Modi Govt

• News By : Web Desk
• 2023-02-04 10:51:50

India: 4 Feb 2023: Biden wants to strengthen connections with the biggest democracy in the world.Modi's visit dates to the US have not yet been decided.
Biden planned on travelling independently to New Delhi in September for the G20. According to a US individual familiar with the negotiations and another person told on the topic, the Biden administration is in discussions with Indian officials over a potential White House visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year. As part of his strategy to prevail in what he has described as a conflict between free and authoritarian civilizations, especially China, US President Joe Biden is eager to strengthen connections with the largest democracy in the world. Both the Indian Embassy in Washington and the White House declined to comment.
According to the sources, dates are not finalised. As Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met in Washington with his American counterpart Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, discussions about a potential White House visit heated up this week. During the visit, a partnership was established between the US and India to strengthen cooperation on military hardware, semiconductors, and artificial intelligence. By taking part in military drills with Russia and expanding its purchases of the nation's crude oil—a crucial source of finance for the conflict in Ukraine—New Delhi has irritated Washington. Washington has urged New Delhi to take further action to retaliate against Russia for the invasion of Ukraine.
India wants to deploy additional fighter jets and roads along its contentious border with China by raising military spending for the 2019 year by 13% to $72.6 billion. A 2,100-mile (3,400-kilometer) border between India and China has been a source of contention since the 1950s. In September, the US president is anticipated to travel to New Delhi on his own to attend the G20 summits being hosted by India. During a mid-year gathering of the Quad nations, which is hosted by Australia and also includes Japan, Biden is also anticipated to meet with Modi. These nations, along with South Korea, are essential to Biden's plan to fortify regional alliances and boost Asian security in the face of dangers like China's claims to Taiwan and large swaths of the continent.
After the 2002 incident in which more than 1,000 people—mostly Muslims—were killed in sectarian rioting in Gujarat, India, where Modi had served as chief government, President George W. Bush's administration denied Modi a US visa in 2005. Modi denies doing anything improper. After he was elected prime minister in 2014, Barack Obama extended the first invitation to him to the White House. In December, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) achieved an unprecedented victory in Gujarat, his home state, and is largely anticipated to take the next general election in 2024.

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