Highlights:
- PM Modi tweeted that he has spoken to President Joe Biden of the United States
- The Prime Minister said they agreed to continue cooperation on climate change
- He said that we are committed to a rules-based international order
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he had spoken to new US President Joe Biden to address regional issues and “our shared priorities” and to express his commitment to a “rule-based international order”.
This was the first interaction between the two leaders over the telephone after the inauguration of Mr Biden last month.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, the two leaders noted that the India-US relationship is deeply rooted in a shared commitment to democratic principles and common strategic interests.
“They stressed the importance of collaborating with similar countries to maintain a rules-based international order and a secure, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region,” the statement read.
PM Modi wrote another tweet which said, “President Joe Biden and I are committed to a rules-based international order. We look forward to expanding our strategic partnership to foster peace and stability in and outside the Indo-Pacific region.”
President @JoeBiden and I are committed to a rules-based international order. We look forward to consolidating our strategic partnership to further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. @POTUS
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 8, 2021
A White House statement said President Biden underlined his willingness to protect democratic institutions and norms around the world in the phone call with PM Modi and noted that the basis for the U.S.-India partnership is a mutual commitment to democratic values.
The two leaders have also decided to continue their collaboration to tackle global climate change. His office said, “The Prime Minister welcomed President Biden’s decision to re-commit itself to the Paris Agreement and highlighted India’s ambitious goals in the field of renewable energy.”
Soon after taking over, Mr. Biden began the process of reversing the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement by his predecessor, Donald Trump.
Following Mr. Biden’s inauguration in January as the 46th President of the United States, he was congratulated by PM Modi in a series of tweets. He said, at the time, that India will work with the United States to ensure global peace and stability and to increase the degree of cooperation between the two nations.
The relationship between India and the USA is focused on “shared values” read one of his posts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his tweet also added, “We have a substantial and multifaceted bilateral agenda, growing economic engagement and vibrant people to people linkages.” His tweet further talked about India being committed to work with Joe Biden to take the relationship between India and the United States to even greater heights.
After his election win, the Prime Minister spoke to Mr Biden, reiterating India’s firm commitment to the strategic partnership between the two nations. He also congratulated Kamala Harris, the elected Vice-President, saying that her election was a matter of pride for the Indian-American community.
After the Presidential election in November, the Democrats came to power in the US. After weeks of a tussle with outgoing Republican President Donald Trump, who maintained that he was the true winner of the election, the change of guard in the White House took place.
