Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a US visit, will meet US President Joe Biden today. Biden was sworn in as US President on January 20. After this, this is the first time that both the leaders will sit and talk face to face. There are similar challenges for both countries. The havoc of covid has not stopped completely in both countries. Rapid vaccination is a challenge. And a fresh and shared challenge is emerging from Afghanistan. It remains to be seen what stage or consensus Biden and Modi reach on this matter.
When the schedule for Modi's US visit was made, it was not initially decided that he would hold bilateral talks with Biden. Several days later, the White House itself approved it and said – President Biden will receive Prime Minister Modi at the White House. Later it was also included in Biden's weekly program and then India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla confirmed the meeting.
Although Modi has gone to America to participate in the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. If you look closely at his program, you will find that the diplomatic importance of this visit is very high. There are four countries in the Quad. India, USA, Australia, and Japan. If there is any challenge and threat to the four countries, it is directly from China.
That is why the heads of state of the four countries have physically reached Washington instead of a virtual meeting. Both Biden and Kamala Harris are scheduled to meet with the leaders of the Quad countries. It is obvious that China is trying to establish dominance in the Indian and Pacific ocean, threatening smaller countries, it will be directly countered.
Modi has previously worked with two US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The Biden administration has so far adopted the same attitude towards India as that of Republican Trump. Recently the Washington Post wrote – Republicans and Democrats have the same stance regarding India.
What happens and what is told in the meeting of Modi and Biden, Pakistan and China will have an eye on this. America wants India to play a bigger role in Afghanistan in the future also. However, this is not possible at the moment, because it would have to first accept the Talibani regime and so far no country in the world has recognized it.
China and Pakistan have an eye on Afghanistan's natural resources and mines. One danger is the drug trade, of which the world is concerned. After the Taliban came to power, the US has frozen all funds for Afghanistan. Although both these countries are also scared of the reaction of the world. This is the reason why China and Pakistan talk a lot but are not ready to recognize the Taliban.
