On August 26, 2024, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss PM Modi’s recent visits to Poland and Ukraine, along with the upcoming meetings at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September in New York City.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to land in New York City on September 21st and is scheduled to participate in the Summit of the Future along with world leaders at the United Nations. On September 22nd, he will deliver a major speech to a large Indian American community event at the Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York. This event marks the 10th.anniversary of his historic speech at Madison Square Garden in September 2014, soon after he became Prime Minister.
Elaborating on the phone call, a White House statement noted, “The President commended the Prime Minister for his historic visits to Poland and Ukraine, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in decades, and for his message of peace and ongoing humanitarian support for Ukraine, including its energy sector.”
It stated the two leaders reiterated their commitment to resolving conflicts peacefully, in accordance with international law and the principles of the UN Charter. They also underscored their dedication to collaborating, particularly through regional alliances like the Quad, and to advance “peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”
The White House statement did not reference Bangladesh, though the topic was addressed by both leaders. However, a statement from New Delhi mentioned that the two leaders had an in-depth discussion on Bangladesh, along with other regional and global issues.
While discussing the situation in Ukraine, “PM Modi briefed President Biden on his recent visit to Ukraine. He reiterated India’s consistent position in favor of dialogue and diplomacy and expressed full support for early return of peace and stability,” the statement from Prime Minister’s Office said further elaborating that, “The two leaders expressed their shared concern over the situation in Bangladesh. They emphasized restoration of law and order and ensuring safety and security of the minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh.”
On August 23rd, PM Modi visited Ukraine and met with President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “My visit to Ukraine was historic,” noted PM Modi adding that he visited the country for “deepening India-Ukraine friendship,” and “India firmly believes that peace must always prevail.”
PM Modi underlined that he had productive discussions in Kyiv, and that India is keen to strengthen economic ties with Ukraine.
“We discussed ways to boost cooperation in agriculture, technology, pharma and other such sectors. We also agreed to further cement cultural linkages,” tweeted PM Modi after the meeting with President Zelenskyy. “We also had discussions about the ongoing conflict. It is of topmost importance that peace be maintained. A peaceful solution to the conflict is best for humanity.”
During his visit, PM Modi introduced President Zelenskyy to the Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri (BHISHM), a program designed to quickly deploy medical facilities. BHISHM includes cubes filled with medicines and medical equipment.
Prime Minister Modi also had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During their discussion, PM Modi reflected on his recent visit to Russia last month, where he participated in the 22nd India-Russia Bilateral Summit, among other bilateral topics.
The statement mentioned that the two leaders discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. PM Modi shared observations from his recent trip to Ukraine and emphasized the need for “dialogue and diplomacy,” and genuine engagement among all parties to reach a lasting and “peaceful resolution,” to the conflict.
