PM Modi Meets Biden, Attends Quad Summit; To Address the UNGA Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a meeting with the United States (US) President Joe Biden on Friday at the White House in Washington DC. This was their first in-person meeting after Biden took charge as the US President earlier this year.

"Indian Americans making the US stronger"

Both the leaders addressed various issues. PM Modi talked of Indian Americans, their contribution to the American economy, and access to H-1B visas.

Modi said that the 40 lakh Indians residing in the US were contributing to making America stronger. They (India and the US) need to facilitate increasing the people-to-people contact further.

He also acknowledged increasing India-US partnership in matters related to the pandemic, climate change, and the Quad group.

The Visa Concern

"He spoke of the issue of getting access for Indian professionals to the United States. In that context, he mentioned H-1B visa", Foreign Secretary of India Harsh Vardhan Shringla told media persons on Friday.

Access to the H-1B visa has been a concern for India after the Trump administration made the rules stricter related to it. Considered the most popular non-immigrant visa among the Chinese and Indian IT professionals, the visa allows American companies to hire foreign workforce.

At The Quad Summit

PM Modi also held bilateral meetings with his Japanese and Australian counterparts, Yoshihide Suga and Scott Morrison. 

He also attended the Quad summit, hosted by the US President. At the summit, the grouping discussed the Afghanistan issue and committed to "deepen their counter-terrorism and humanitarian cooperation under UNSCR 2593." 

The UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) passed under the presidency of India had demanded that Afghan soil shouldn't be used for spreading terrorism in other countries and sought an inclusive and negotiated settlement to the crisis in the war-torn country.

To Address the UNGA Today

Soon after the summit, PM Modi left for New York to address the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday.

He is on a 3-day visit to the US. As he had reached the US capital on Wednesday, he met with Chief Executives of five American companies to talk of their potential investment in India.

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