PM Modi’s visit to the United States was ‘intense and successful’ says India’s Foreign Secretary

- ADVERTISEMENT -

India’s Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had “intense and successful” visit to the United States from September 21-23, while highlighting his bilateral, plurilateral, and multilateral engagements.

On September 23^rd, the Prime Minister addressed global leaders at the “Summit of the Future,” at the United Nations in New York. During his visit, he also held bilateral meetings with several leaders such as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Vietnam’s President and General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, To Lam, Nepal’s Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

During a press briefing at the Lotte New York Palace on September 23, Misri emphasized the Prime Minister’s call at the United Nations for reform in the multilateral system, reminding world leaders that “Reform is the key to relevance.” He stressed that the Prime Minister cited India’s success in sustainable development at scale and expressed India’s readiness to share its experiences, particularly in the area of Digital Public Infrastructure, with the world.

Discussing progress on the technology front, Misri said the technology element reflected in the Quad joint statement and the US-India bilateral fact sheet. He further said that the technology aspect also figured during the Prime Minister’s participation in a roundtable at MIT, where he engaged with CEOs from leading companies in AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, life sciences, IT, and communications.

The Prime Minister shared his vision on India’s emerging semiconductor mission with the CEOs, inviting them to join India’s technological journey. He emphasized how technology has become a central pillar of the India-US Strategic Partnership, Misri noted.

During the first bilateral meeting with Nepal’s Prime Minister Sharma Oli, both leaders used the opportunity to reflect on the unique and close bilateral ties and their shared commitment to advancing cooperation in all areas, including development partnerships, energy, power, and connectivity, Misri noted.

The Prime Minister also met with the Crown Prince of Kuwait, where they discussed their enduring relationship and the Crown Prince emphasized India’s historical significance to Kuwait,.

During his meeting with the President of Palestine, the Prime Minister “referred to India’s historic support for Palestine in the United Nations on the international stage, as also the consistent and sustained humanitarian support that India has provided to Palestine in the fields of health, education, capacity building and others,” added Misri.

In a separate meeting, Misri noted that the Prime Minister congratulated President Lam for his recent appointment as the General Secretary. President Lam thanked the Prime Minister for India’s humanitarian assistance under Operation Sadbhav, which provided relief to Vietnam after Typhoon Yagi. The Prime Minister also extended an invitation for President Lam to visit India, which he graciously accepted.

In his meeting with President Zelenskyy, Misri said that this was their third discussion in three months, allowing them to review recent developments. They touched on various topics, including bilateral relations and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Misri conveyed that President Zelenskyy expressed appreciation for “India’s attention to these issues” and commended the Prime Minister’s efforts to promote a pathway to peace in the region.

While reiterating the deep connection between the Indian American community and the United States, Misri emphasized its role as a “living bridge” between the two nations. He noted that the Prime Minister acknowledged this by announcing plans to open two new Indian consulates in Boston and Los Angeles, as well as establishing a Thiruvalluvar Chair in Tamil Studies at the University of Houston.

In response to a question from News India Times regarding the timelines for opening the two new consulates, Indian Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra said, “I think it was during the last [2023 PM’s] State Visit, that it was announced that two new Consulates will be opened. And Prime Minister made that announcement.  We will now work with the US administration to carry forward the implementation of that decision.”