US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Thursday marked a new chapter in the bilateral relationship between their countries. With the White House extending a warm welcome to Modi, both leaders emphasised the significance of their partnership, highlighting defence and commerce agreements aimed at countering China’s growing global influence.
Later, the Indian PM addressed a joint session of the US Congress where he flaunted India’s democratic credentials and pitched for stronger political and economic ties between the two nations driven by shared values.
India-US economic ties ‘booming’
President Biden underscored the historical strength of the US-India relationship, emphasising that it is now stronger, closer, and more dynamic than ever before.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Modi, Biden lauded the booming economic ties, citing a significant increase in trade between the two countries over the past decade.
While India has always cherished its independence and maintained a non-formal alliance status, Washington seeks to position Delhi as a strategic counterweight to China. Both leaders refrained from directly criticising Beijing, yet their remarks indicated the target of their intended assault was none other than China.
Shared concerns over challenges in Indo-Pacific
During their private discussions, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi highlighted the escalating tensions and destabilising actions in the East and South China Sea. They emphasised the importance of upholding international law and freedom of navigation in the region.
Modi, in his address to Congress, referred to the Indo-Pacific region as facing “dark clouds of coercion and confrontation,” stressing the need for stability—a concern shared by the US president. Through their joint statement, both leaders aimed to address these challenges and seize the opportunities presented by working together in the 21st century.
What new deals were signed by the two leaders?
The United States and India announced several agreements in key sectors such as semiconductors, critical minerals, technology, space cooperation, and defence. These deals serve multiple purposes, including diversifying supply chains to reduce dependence on China and gaining an advantage in advanced technologies that could play a crucial role in future conflicts.
Watch: PM Modi delivers address to joint sitting of Congress
Additionally, efforts were made in the direction of resolving long-standing disputes at the World Trade Organization. One such effort resulted in India reducing tariffs on certain US goods. Notably, India’s agreement to purchase armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones from the US and the inclusion of Micron Technology’s $2.7 billion semiconductor testing and packaging unit in Gujarat underscored the depth of their cooperation.
Tough stance on terrorism
Joe Biden and Narendra Modi came down heavily on Pakistan in a joint statement, directing the Islamic nation to crack down on terrorists targeting New Delhi. The two leaders called for action against terror groups based in Pakistan such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
“They strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks,” the statement said.
While delivering his hour-long speech to the US Congressmen, the Indian leader said, “Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs and buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror.”
‘Not an era of war’
Prime Minister Modi during his speech at the US Congress reiterated his stance that today is not an era of war, and the war in Ukraine is having severe consequences for the world since major powers are involved. “The last few years have seen deeply disruptive developments. With the Ukraine conflict, war has returned to Europe,” the prime minister said, referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“As I have said, this is not an era of war. It is of dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.
Liberal lawmakers boycot speech
Modi’s visit to the United States was not without controversy, as some liberal lawmakers boycotted his speech to Congress, citing concerns over the treatment of India’s Muslim minority. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted her invitation for colleagues who support pluralism, tolerance, and freedom of the press to join her in the boycott. However, Modi dismissed criticisms regarding India’s human rights record, stating that there is no room for discrimination in the country.
The PM said, “Indeed, India is a democracy and as President Biden also mentioned, India and America, (for) both countries, democracy is in our DNA. Democracy is our spirit. Democracy runs in our veins. We live democracy. And our ancestors have actually put words to this concept, and that is in the form of our Constitution. Our government has taken the basic principles of democracy. And on that basis, our Constitution is made and the entire country runs on that…We have always proved that democracy can deliver. And when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there’s absolutely no space for discrimination.”
