Janjivan Bureau / New Delhi : In an indication of unrelenting American pressure to persuade India to shift its loyalties away from Russia, US President Joe Biden will speak to PM Narendra Modi on Monday.
The virtual summit will take place hours before Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar sit down for a two plus two meeting with their US counterparts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.
Biden and PM Modi will discuss cooperation on a range of issues, including ending the Covid pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, said a White House statement.
The leaders will also advance ongoing conversations about the development of an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and delivering high-quality infrastructure.
Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets.
Biden last spoke to PM Modi with other Quad Leaders in March. As it is, he is likely to meet PM Modi towards the end of this month in Tokyo when Quad leaders gather for their second in-person summit.
