Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the United States this month for the Quad Summit on September 21. This will be Modi’s first trip to the US since beginning his third term as Prime Minister. The summit, held in Wilmington, Delaware, marks a significant event as it will be the last meeting with the current Quad leaders, including US President Joe Biden and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Significance of the Summit
The summit is notable for being the last gathering of the existing Quad alliance leaders before both Biden and Kishida step down from their positions. Biden has announced he will not seek re-election, and Kishida has confirmed he will not run for re-election as the head of the Liberal Democratic Party. The summit also celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Quad alliance, originally formed to promote cooperation between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.
Modi’s US Itinerary
After the Quad Summit, Prime Minister Modi will travel to New York to attend the United Nations Summit of the Future on September 22–23. On September 22, he will participate in a major community event titled ‘Modi & US Progress Together’ at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Long Island. However, Modi will not address the UN General Assembly; instead, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent India on September 28.
US Presidential Elections Context
Modi’s visit comes ahead of the US presidential elections, where Republican candidate Donald Trump is facing Democrat nominee Kamala Harris. This visit underscores the importance of Indo-US relations in the lead-up to the elections.