White House announces plan for Biden-Modi meeting

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President Joe Biden will host leaders of countries that have long been in discussions on protecting the Indo-Pacific region as a buffer against China’s increasing predominance.

The White House announced Sept. 13, 2021, that President Biden will hold the first-ever Quad Leaders Summit at the White House on September 24, when he is looking forward to welcoming to the White House Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan. The leaders are expected to be attending the United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York.

This will be Biden’s first meeting with Modi since he came into office in January.

“The Biden-Harris Administration has made elevating the Quad a priority, as seen through the first-ever Quad Leaders-level engagement in March, which was virtual, and now this Summit, which will be in-person,” announced the White House in a statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

“Hosting the leaders of the Quad demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” the statement said.

“The Quad Leaders will be focused on deepening our ties and advancing practical cooperation on areas such as combatting COVID-19, addressing the climate crisis, partnering on emerging technologies and cyberspace, and promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Psaki said..