Among the overaching messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s engagements during the Quad summit is the emphasis of India on minimizing conflict and division while leveraging democratic values to pursue development objectives, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Sunday.
Addressing a special briefing on PM Modi’s visit to the US, Misri said, “India’s emphasis is on minimizing conflict and division, leveraging democratic values even as we pursued development objectives, and highlighting the role of technology and the digital revolution in ushering in good governance, essentially to turn the disruptive features of technology to good ends.”
These themes found reflections during the bilateral meetings in Delaware,the Foreign secretary said.
Technology was a key focus in both bilateral and plurilateral discussions, as highlighted in the Quad fact sheet and the joint fact sheet with the United States, Misri said.
“In the plurilateral meetings today, PM Modi underlined India’s approach to cooperation, contact and engagement for growth with a variety of partners in the Indo-Pacific. It was striking to hear the other Quad leaders acknowledge India’s actions,” the Foreign Secretary said during the press briefing.
Misri said that Saturday was very packed for PM Modi who is on a three-day visit to the United States. After landing in Philadelphia he immediately went to a bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden and later attended attended the Quad Summit at the US President’s Wilmington home alongside Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida.
“The prime minister landed in Philadelphia after a 15-and-a-half-hour flight from New Delhi and went almost straightaway into a bilateral meeting with President Biden. As you probably saw, the meeting was held in a very evocative setting at President Biden’s personal residence in Wilmington,” he said.
Misri said that following the meeting, the leaders gathered for events related to Quad Leaders’ Summit.
“Following that, we got down to the events related to the Quad summit. This is the fourth in-person summit of the leaders, the 6th summit overall, and that was held at the Archmere Academy, a venue very closely connected with President Biden,” he said.
Misri said that at the Quad meeting, PM Modi and other leaders participated in the launch of the Quad Cancer Moonshot initiative aimed to combat cervival cancer. Modi announced that India would grant USD7.5 million for cancer testing, screening and diagnostics in the Indo-Pacific region.
“Prime Minister also together with the other Quad leaders, participated in the launch of a cancer moonshot initiative being taken by the Quad leaders, this one aimed at addressing the challenges posed by cervical cancer. The prime minister had bilateral meetings with his other Quad counterparts, Prime Minister Kishida of Japan and Prime Minister Albanese of Australia, and the evening ended with dinner hosted by Biden,” he said.
An important feature was the return of nearly 300 antiquities back to India, here we were not just talking about not just ‘vikas’ but also ‘virasat,’ said the Foreign Secretary.
The United States returned 297 antiquities that were stolen from India. Prime Minister Modi took to X to share the news and lauded US President Joe Biden for his commitment to fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties.
“Deepening cultural connect and strengthening the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural properties,” PM Modi wrote on X, “I am extremely grateful to President Biden and the US Government for ensuring the return of 297 invaluable antiquities to India. @POTUS @JoeBiden,” he added.
After arriving in New York Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared glimpses of the grand welcome he received from the Indian diaspora at the hotel.
“After programmes in Delaware, landed in New York. Eager to be among the diaspora at the community programme in the city and to take part in other programmes,” PM Modi he wrote on X.
