PM MODI TO ADDRESS UNGA THIS WEEK, TO MEET BIDEN ON 24 SEPT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the United States this week to attend the first in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit and address the UN general debate. He will also have a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden on 24 September.

This will be PM Modi›s second visit abroad since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. His first such visit was to Bangladesh earlier this year.

During the significant visit to the US, PM Modi would on 24 September participate in the Leaders› Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework in Washington along with his US, Japanese and Australian counterparts. The bilateral meeting with the US President is also scheduled for the day. This is PM Modi›s first visit to the US since Joe Biden became the President.

He will address the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 25 September in New York. He will also have bilateral meetings with other world leaders.

President Biden will host the first-ever-in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit at the White House with Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. The White House statement said that Biden will also meet the Japan Prime Minister.

The Ministry of External Affairs had said earlier that Quad meeting will focus on deepening «ties and advancing practical cooperation in areas such as combating Covid-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific».

It said the leaders will discuss regional issues of shared interest and will also review the progress made since the first virtual summit that was held on 12 March this year.

As part of their ongoing efforts to contain Covid-19 pandemic, the leaders will review the Quad vaccine initiative which was announced in March this year.

They will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, climate change and education.

Recent developments in Afghanistan are also expected to figure prominently in the deliberations.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who arrived in New York on Monday, will be holding several bilateral and multilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting. Official sources told ANI that EAM will be taking part in the G4 foreign ministers› meet on 22 September and is likely to participate at the SAARC meeting on 26 September. However, the meeting is yet to be confirmed. G4 nations comprise Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan.

Several meetings on Afghanistan are also expected. Qatar is also organising a meeting in which India is likely to participate.

High-level debate week at the UN General Assembly will begin on Tuesday. Top leaders from across the world have already started converging in New York.

India is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. The situation in Afghanistan, which plunged into crisis following the Taliban takeover last month, is expected to figure prominently during discussions between world leaders.

PM Modi will be addressing UNGA on 25 September.

WITH AGENCY INPUTS