Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden in Wilmington was an emotional one, marking their final meeting in an official capacity as the American leader is not seeking reelection. The US President hosted Modi at his personal residence in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday and the two leaders held wide-ranging talks covering various key aspects of India-US ties.
Over the last four years, PM Modi and PM Biden have developed a close friendship and have worked together on addressing several global and regional issues. Last year, Biden hosted Modi for the historic official State Visit.
"As to the atmosphere in the meeting with President Biden, it was indeed an emotional moment. Prime Minister was aware of the fact that in a sense it was a farewell meeting with President Biden and the fact that it was taking place at his personal residence made it all the more special,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters in the wee hours of Sunday.
"In fact, he (Modi) mentioned to him (Biden) that in India we say “Jab Dik Ke Darwaze Khul Jaate Hain, to Ghar Ke Darwaaje Bhi Khul Jaate Hain” meaning when the doors of the heart open, so do the doors of the house.
"Very personal and a very emotional connection"
He said that you have opened the doors of your home to us. The fact that the doors of your heart have been opened to us has been known for a long time,” Misri said in New York during a special briefing on the first day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to the US
“So, there was a very, very personal and a very emotional connection between the two leaders. The setting of the meeting itself was very special,” he said.
Recalling his State visit to the US in June 2023 and President Biden’s visit to India in September 2023 for the G-20 Leaders’ Summit, Modi said that the visits have imparted greater dynamism and depth to the India-US partnership. "I thank President Biden for hosting me at his residence in Greenville, Delaware. Our talks were extremely fruitful. We had the opportunity to discuss regional and global issues during the meeting," Modi said in a post on X.
During the meeting, Biden said the US supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed UN Security Council. The two leaders “expressed unrelenting optimism and the utmost confidence that the tireless efforts of our peoples, our civic and private sectors, and our governments to forge deeper bonds have set the US-India partnership on a path toward even greater heights in the decades ahead,” the statement said.
They also commended the progress that has made the US-India Major Defence Partnership a "pillar of global security and peace", highlighting the benefits of increased operational coordination, information-sharing, and defence industrial innovation.
(With inputs from agency)
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