PM Modi speaks to America's President-elect Joe Biden, praises US democratic traditions

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with US president-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday, November 17 and congratulated him for the resounding victory in the US elections. During the conversation, the two leaders reiterated firm commitment to India-US strategic partnership as well as discussed priorities and concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region.

This was the first interaction between the two leaders after Biden defeated incumbent president Donald Trump in the US presidential election.

Taking to Twitter PM Modi said, "Spoke to US President-elect JoeBiden on phone to congratulate him. We reiterated our firm commitment to the Indo-US strategic partnership and discussed our shared priorities and concerns - Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region".

During the conversation, PM Modi warmly recalled his earlier interactions with Biden, including during his official visits to the United States in 2014 and in 2016. Biden had chaired the Joint Session of the US Congress that was addressed by the Prime Minister during his 2016 visit.

PM Modi was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Joe Biden on November 7 as the US Presidential Election result became evident. 

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PM Modi congratulates Harris

Prime Minister Modi also extended his heartiest congratulations and best wishes to Vice President-elect Senator Kamala Harris. "Her success is a matter of great pride and inspiration for members of the vibrant Indian-American community, who are a tremendous source of strength for Indo-US relations", he wrote in another tweet.

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Furthermore, the interaction came on a day External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar exuded confidence that the ties between India and the US will expand further under Biden's administration, noting that the US president-elect was part of the period when the bilateral relations underwent a radical transformation.

Biden's key role in India-US ties

Joe Biden is known to be a strong proponent of closer India-US ties since his days as a senator in the 1970s and played a key role in getting the approval of the Senate for the bilateral civil nuclear deal in 2008. In the midst of hectic negotiations between the two countries to conclude the civil nuclear deal, Biden was a critical ally of India in the Senate. The deal had laid a strong foundation for the deepening of ties between the two leading democracies of the world.

The strategic and defence ties between India and the US witnessed major expansion during Barack Obama's presidency and Biden, as the vice president, had played a key role in it. Biden also spoke about his vision for the US-India partnership as well as on standing with India in facing threats in the region in his campaign documents.

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(With PTI inputs; Image Credits - Twitter @narendramodi)