During talks with PM Narendra Modi, Joe Biden recalls his 2013 Mumbai visit as Vice President

Washington: US President Joe Biden on Friday hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House for the first bilateral meeting during which the two leaders discussed a wide range of priority issues, including combating COVID-19, climate change and economic cooperation.

While the two leaders have met earlier when Biden was the Vice President of the country, this was for the first time that Biden met PM Modi after he became the 46th president of the US in January.

While welcoming PM Modi at the White House, President Biden also recalled his visit to Mumbai in 2013 when he serving as the Vice President of the United States. He was accompanied by his wife, then US Second Lady Jill Biden, their daughter Ashley and son-in-law Howard D Crein.

Biden, in a lighter vein, told PM Modi, "Indian Press had then asked me if I have any relative in India...Someone from the Indian Press said you have five Bidens in India..."

#WATCH | Washington DC: US President Joe Biden recalls his visit to Mumbai as the then US Vice President and, in a lighter vein, says, "Indian Press asked me if I have any relative in India...Someone from the Indian Press said you have five Bidens in India..." pic.twitter.com/Vv8KnNbYF9 — ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2021

In his introductory remarks, Biden said, “The relationship between India and US, the two largest democracies in the world, is destined to be "stronger, closer and tighter. We are watching a new chapter in India-US ties.” He also told PM Modi that “four million Indian-Americans are making America stronger every day."

Both Biden and Prime Minister Modi have spoken over the phone multiple times and have attended a few virtual summits, including that of the Quad in March hosted by the US President. The last telephone conversation between them took place on April 26.

"This morning I'm hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House for a bilateral meeting. I look forward to strengthening the deep ties between our two nations, working to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific, and tackling everything from COVID-19 to climate change," President Biden tweeted just minutes before the meeting.

Glimpses from the meeting between PM @narendramodi and @POTUS @JoeBiden at the White House. pic.twitter.com/YjishxDVNK — PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 24, 2021

On his behalf, Prime Minister Modi, who is visiting the US for the 7th time after assuming office in 2014, described Friday's bilateral summit with President Biden as important as they're meeting at the start of the third decade of this century.

"Your leadership will certainly play an important role in how this decade is shaped. The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and the US,” Prime Minister Modi told Biden.

PM Modi said this decade will be shaped by talent and people-to-people linkages. “I am glad the Indian diaspora is making an active contribution towards the US' progress." He said that technology is becoming a driving force. “We have to utilise our talents to leverage technology for greater global good.”

Noting that trade will be an important factor in Indo-US ties in the coming decade, the Prime Minister said that there is much to be done in the area.