POTUS Joe Biden will not visit in January, remains ‘personally committed’ to closer India-US ties: NSA Sullivan
NSA Jake Sullivan said US President Joe Biden will not be able to visit India for the Republic Day celebrations but remains committed to deepening ties between the two nations.
New Delhi: President of the United States (POTUS) Joe Biden will not be able to visit India in late January, but remains “personally committed” to closer ties between the two nations and shares a “close personal bond” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi with whom he looks forward to “participate in this in the coming weeks and months,” said US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan.
In the first comments by a top US official on Biden canceling his visit to India, Sullivan said the US President will not be able to travel to India for the Republic Day celebrations, according to a Hindustan Times (HT) report “due to planning requirements”.
“We have notified Indian officials that the President will not be able to visit India in late January,” the NSA said
On December 12, it was reported that Joe Biden is not expected to travel to India as the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations next month.
Quad Summit postponed
With Biden reportedly not planning a trip to India in January, it is learned that the summit of the four-nation Quad coalition will also not take place next month as earlier expected, news agency PTI reported.
In September, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said Prime Minister Modi had invited President Biden as the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26. However, India had no comment on the invitation.
According to the report, the Quad summit will not take place in India in January and is now proposed to be held in the country in the latter part of 2024. The Quad summit was expected to take place around January 27 if Biden accepted India’s invitation.
“The Quad Summit in India is proposed to take place later in 2024. We are looking for revised dates as the dates currently under consideration do not work for all Quad partners,” PTI quoted a source as saying.
‘Personal bond with Prime Minister Modi’
Commenting on Biden declining the invitation, Sullivan said the president remains committed to deepening ties with India and shares a personal bond with Prime Minister Modi.
“In June, and again in September, the President and Prime Minister reaffirmed a vision of the United States and India as one of the world’s closest partners – and have worked steadily to advance our strategic partnership in all areas, including critical and emerging areas. technology, space, defense and much more. This work will continue,” Sullivan said, according to the HT report.
The NSA said he witnessed “firsthand” the “close personal bond” between Biden and Modi, as well as their “shared commitment to advancing their people’s aspirations for a prosperous future.”
“The President remains personally committed to continuing this partnership, which he has often described as the most consequential partnership for the United States in the last century,” Sullivan said.
Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited India for the ‘2+2’ ministerial dialogue.
US Chief Deputy NSA Jonathan Finer visited India last week and FBI Director Christopher Wray is currently on a trip to New Delhi.
Finer and Wray’s visit came against the backdrop of Washington’s accusations of an Indian link to a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist on US soil.
(With input from agencies)