Modi-Biden meeting showed strong strategic alignment between India and US: Expert

NEW YORK/WASHINGTON: The Quad summit in Wilmington, Delaware, the home town of US President Joe Biden, on September 21, 2024 culminated in new mechanisms to strengthen strategic coordination among the four Indo-Pacific democracies. These included “Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific” (MAITRI), First-ever “Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission,” and “Quad Ports of the Future Partnership.”

On the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his last bilateral meeting with Joe Biden. The meeting was held at President Biden’s personal residence in Greenville, Delaware, reflecting the warmth and importance of the U.S.-India partnership.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Manish Chand, Founder-CEO, Centre for Global India Insights and India Writes Network, speaks to Dr. Aparna Pande, Research Fellow at the Hudson Institute, Washington, and an expert in South Asia, about the importance of the fourth Quad summit and the Modi-Biden meeting in Delaware.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q) What was India’s role in shaping outcomes of Quad summit? In what ways the Wilmington summit mark the next chapter in the evolution of Quad? Did the key outcomes buttressed Quad’s role in containing Chinese aggressiveness?

A) India is a central part of Quad, one of the four corners of this diamond that covers the entire Indo Pacific. The key deliverables on the maritime security, maritime domain awareness, and cancer moonshot would not have been possible without an Indian commitment and presence.”

The Wilmington summit was important for both symbolic and substantive reasons. Symbolically it demonstrated that the Quad has bipartisan support within the American establishment and is one of the key mini-laterals for the Indo Pacific.

On the substantive front, the Quad is working together on both delivery of public goods to the region and building the sinews of security cooperation between the various countries. The Quad is one of the groupings in the Indo-Pacific that is key to pushing back against Chinese aggression but has a long way to go before it reaches its true potential.

Modi-Biden meeting

Q) In the talks between PM Modi and US President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, did you notice any visible progress in areas identified during the last summit meeting in Washington? What’s the way ahead for India-US relations following this visit?

A) We should never underestimate the symbolic dimension of the meeting between President Biden and PM Modi. The Biden administration has, as of now, been one of the most pro-Indian administrations in decades. A lot of that comes from President Biden’s strong championship of the partnership since he was Chairman Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the early 2000s. He brought that strong desire to build ties with India to his presidency and it has been reflected in the administration’s policies.

The meeting demonstrated a continuing strong strategic alignment, reflected in the deliverables that focused on energy security, critical and emerging technologies and security. The semi-conductor prefab agreement, the energy security agreement and the drone deal are all examples.

The India-US partnership has always had the sky as its limit – the challenge has always been sustaining the momentum, and both sides must expend resources and efforts to ensure that continues in the months and years ahead.

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India Writes Network: India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) is an emerging think tank and a media-publishing company focused on international affairs & the India Story. Centre for Global India Insights is the research arm of India Writes Network. To subscribe to India and the World, write to editor@indiawrites.org. A venture of TGII Media Private Limited, a leading media, publishing and consultancy company, IWN has carved a niche for balanced and exhaustive reporting and analysis of international affairs. Eminent personalities, politicians, diplomats, authors, strategy gurus and news-makers have contributed to India Writes Network, as also “India and the World,” a magazine focused on global affairs.