PM says US visit was fruitful

Modi referred to the Quad meeting and about his happiness at taking part in it in the beginning of his third term in office…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday shared highlights of his very intense visit to the United States, saying it has been “fruitful”, covered diverse programmes and focused on a series of subjects aimed at making the planet better.

The Prime Minister shared a brief video of his engagements, from the Quad Summit to series of bilateral meetings including with US President Joe Biden. He also shared highlights of his address to the Indian diaspora, interaction with important American business leaders and address at the Summit of the Future in the United Nations.

“This has been a fruitful USA visit, covering diverse programmes and focusing on a series of subjects aimed at making our planet better. Here are the highlights,” Modi said in a post on X.

The US President hosted the Quad Summit in his hometown Wilmington, Delaware. “President Biden took me to his home in Deware. His affinity and warmth was a heart-touching moment for me,” the Prime Minister said as the video showed the two leaders embracing each other and shaking hands.

Modi referred to the Quad meeting and about his happiness at taking part in it in the beginning of his third term in office. Quad Summit saw participation of Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese apart from PM Modi and President Biden.

The Prime Minister also shared the moment when answering a question if Quad will survive beyond the US elections in November, President Biden said “way beyond November” and warmly gestured towards Modi. President Biden and PM Kishida are outgoing leaders of their countries. India will host the next Quad Summit.

In his speech at the Quad Summit, Modi said “Our message is unequivocal: QUAD is here to stay, to assist, to partner, and to complement.”

The video also had Modi’s remarks at Quad Moonshot Initiative. “India’s vision is “One Earth, One Health.” In this spirit, I am pleased to announce our contribution of USD 7.5 million for sampling kits, detection kits, and vaccines under the Quad Moonshot Initiative,” he said.

The video provided glimpses from the Indian diaspora event with the gathering cheering and waving at him.

The video had Modi’s remarks at interaction with important business leaders from the US. He spoke of the “golden opportunity” India offers.

The American business leaders talked of India’s moment and the need to seize the opportunity.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said that Prime Minister Modi is focused on transforming India with his digital vision and is exploring how Artificial Intelligence can benefit the people of India.

Pichai said, “The Prime Minister wants to make sure that ultimately AI is there to benefit the people of India.”

Chief Executive officer of US tech giant Nvidia, Jensen Huang, said that India is having its moment and all businesses have to seize this opportunity.

“This is India’s moment, we have to seize the opportunity,” he said.

CEO of HP Inc. Enrique Lores expressed enthusiasm about India’s growing technology and manufacturing potential, underscoring the company’s plans to expand its footprint in the country. “We are expanding our manufacturing capabilities in India,” he said.

India is emerging as an economic superpower, highlighted David A Ricks, CEO, Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company. “We have already a large research base in India. We plan to grow that.”

Accenture CEO Julie Sweet praised PM Modi’s leadership and outlined the company’s plans to further grow its operations in India. “It is an exciting time,” she said.

Biogen CEO Chris Viehbacher praised PM Modi’s vision of making India central to the technological progress of the 21st century. “He [PM Modi] clearly wants to have India in the front and centre in progressive technology.”

Holtec International CEO Kris Singh said that the Prime Minister’s focus is on making India energy independent through clean energy initiatives. “Prime Minister is a very bright man,” he said.

The video has visuals of PM Modi’s bilateral meetings with Japan Prime Minister Kishida Australian Prime Minister Albanese, Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli, Crown Prince of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah, Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, State President of Vietnam To Lam and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,

The video had PM Modi’s remarks at the UN Summit of the Future where he noted that reform is key to relevance and called for urgent reform of the institutions of global governance, including the UN Security Council. He noted that global action must match global ambition.

PM Modi was on three-day visit to the United States beginning September 21. (ANI)

Meeting with Modi that Trump announced does not happen

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump had said that he was going to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit here but they did not meet.  Modi’s brief trip was of about 55 hours packed with activities, while Trump was in the heat of the campaign for an election six weeks away.

The PM was busy on Saturday with the Quad summit with President Joe Biden, and Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese of Australia and Fumio Kishida of Japan. Monday was taken up entirely by PM Modi’s address to the Summit of the Future and meetings with some leaders before his flight back.

On Sunday, he addressed the diaspora rally in a New York suburb, and he had some time later in the day for meetings. But Trump was away holding his own rally in North Carolina.

Later Sunday, PM Modi met with Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas, Nepal’s Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, and Kuwait Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid. There were media speculations about another meeting: Between PM Modi and Mohammad Yunus, the de facto prime Minister of Bangladesh, on the sidelines of the United Nations Summit of the Future.

Some media reports said that PM Modi was snubbing him by refusing to meet. Ultimately it was also a matter of timing.

Asked at his news conference about the meeting that wasn’t to be, India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said, “The Prime Minister is leaving in a few minutes from now. The chief advisor of Bangladesh is not here yet, so there hasn’t been any possibility of a meeting on this occasion”.

Touhid Hossain, the foreign affairs adviser in the interim government of Bangladesh, spoke at the summit on Monday instead of Yunus who was listed as the speaker. After meeting Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine and To Lam of Vietnam on Monday, PM Modi also squeezed in two other meetings, with the Vatican’s Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and Armenia’s President Nikol Pashinyan.

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