“Our message is clear – Quad is here to stay,” said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address at the Quad summit in the US on Sunday, September 22. He emphasized that the grouping is not against anyone but for a rules-based international order and respect for sovereignty.
“Our message is clear- the Quad is here to stay, to assist, to partner and to complement,” Modi observed.
In his opening remarks, PM Modi reiterated the grouping’s stand on a “free, open Indo-Pacific” and stated that they supported a “rules-based international order and respect for sovereignty”, making a veiled reference to China.
“Free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific is our priority. We are not against anyone. We all support a rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and peaceful resolution of all issues,” Modi said, without naming any country. Prime Minister Modi arrived in the US on Saturday, 21 September, in the first leg of his three-day visit to the country. During his address, the PM stressed that the summit is being held at a time when the world is surrounded by conflicts.
The US President Joe Biden hosted the summit in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware and it was also attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
‘Fruitful’ Talks with Biden
PM Modi also held bilateral talks with US President Biden ahead of the summit and discussed regional and global issues, including the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release. Modi appreciated President Biden’s contributions to boosting the India-US partnership. Regarding the India-US partnership, both sides issued a joint statement calling it the “defining partnership of the 21st century.”
“The discussions centred on strengthening the India-USA partnership across areas of mutual interest. Both leaders exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific region as well as global issues,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a post on X.
Furthering the India-USA partnership!
PM @narendramodi and @POTUS @JoeBiden held bilateral talks in Delaware.
The discussions centred on strengthening the India-USA partnership across areas of mutual interest. Both leaders exchanged views on the Indo-Pacific region as well as… pic.twitter.com/4CtpnqlMYq
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 22, 2024
A joint statement issued after the meeting said the India-US partnership is “decisively delivering on an ambitious agenda that serves the global good”, calling it the “defining partnership of the 21st century”.
Both leaders hailed a watershed arrangement to establish a new semiconductor fabrication plant in India. It will be made possible with the support of the India Semiconductor Mission and through a strategic technology partnership involving Bharat Semi, 3rdiTech, and the US Space Force. They also expressed their satisfaction with the progress made towards the first collaborative mission by NASA and ISRO to conduct scientific research aboard the International Space Station in 2025.
Powering Next Generation Defence Partnership
White House statement said President Biden welcomed the progress towards India concluding procurement of 31 General Atomics MQ-9B (16 Sky Guardian and 15 Sea Guardian) remotely piloted aircraft and their associated equipment.
The Leaders recognized the remarkable progress under the U.S.-India Defense Industrial Cooperation Roadmap, including ongoing collaboration to advance priority co-production arrangements for jet engines, munitions, and ground mobility systems. They also welcomed efforts to expand defence industrial partnerships, including the teaming of Liquid Robotics and Sagar Defence Engineering for the co-development and co-production of unmanned surface vehicle systems that strengthen undersea and maritime domain awareness.
The Leaders applauded the recent conclusion of the Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA), enhancing the mutual supply of defence goods and services. Both Leaders committed to advance ongoing discussions on aligning their respective defense procurement systems to further enable the reciprocal supply of defence goods and services.
President Biden welcomed India’s decision to set a uniform Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 5 percent on the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) sector, including on all aircraft and aircraft engine parts thereby simplifying the tax structure and paving the way for building a strong ecosystem for MRO services in India.
The Leaders hailed the teaming agreement on the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft recently signed between Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, the two companies that co-chair the U.S.-India CEO Forum. Building on longstanding industry cooperation, this agreement will establish a new Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility in India to support the readiness of the Indian fleet and global partners who operate the C-130 Super Hercules aircraft. This marks a significant step in U.S.-India defence and aerospace cooperation and reflects the two sides’ deepening strategic and technology partnership ties, the statement added.
Team BharatShakti
