PM Modi, US President Biden to hold virtual meet today, ahead of 2+2 talks

New Delhi, April 11 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting today during which they will review ongoing bilateral cooperation and exchange views on recent developments in South Asia, the Indo-Pacific region and on global issues of mutual interest. The talks between the two leaders is scheduled at 8.30 pm (IST), and comes ahead of the Fourth 2+2 meeting between their foreign and defence ministers in Washington. Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar are already in Washington to hold talks with their counterparts Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. EAM Jaishankar will hold a bilateral with Blinken before the 2+2 talks. Post the dialogue, the four ministers will attend a Space Situational Awareness Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony at the Department of State, and then hold a joint press conference. The Modi- Biden virtual meeting will enable both sides to continue their regular and high-level engagement aimed at further strengthening the bilateral Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, an official statement said. A White House statement said the two leaders will discuss a range of issues, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, mitigating the destabilizing impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine, and upholding a free and open Indo-Pacific. Biden last spoke to Prime Minister Modi with other Quad Leaders in March. RN