PM Modi said that he and US President Joe Biden discussed regional issues and their shared priorities

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called said he spoke to US President Joe Biden and discussed regional issues, climate change, and strategic partnership, among other issues.

In their first phone call after Joe Biden assumed office last month, PM Modi said he and the US President are 'committed to a rules-based international order'.

Taking to Twitter, PM Modi said, "Spoke to @POTUS @JoeBiden and conveyed my best wishes for his success. We discussed regional issues and our shared priorities. We also agreed to further our co-operation against climate change."

"President @JoeBiden and I are committed to a rules-based international order. We look forward to consolidating our strategic partnership to further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond."

The Modi-Biden Phone Call

According to a Prime Minister's Office statement on the telephonic conversation, PM Modi congratulated President Biden, conveyed best wishes for his tenure, and looked forward to working closely with him to further elevate the India-US Strategic Partnership. The leaders discussed at length regional developments and the wider geo-political context, the statement said.

PM Modi and Biden reiterated the importance of working with like-minded countries to ensure a rules-based international order and a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, the statement said. Prime Minister Modi and President Biden affirmed the importance of addressing the challenge of global climate change. PM Modi also welcomed US President Joe Biden's decision to recommit to the Paris Agreement and highlighted the ambitious targets India has set for itself in the area of renewable energy, the PMO said.

The prime minister welcomed President Biden's initiative to organise the Climate Leaders Summit in April this year and looked forward to participating in the same, according to the statement. The prime minister also invited President Biden and Jill Biden to visit India at their earliest convenience.

What Has The White House Said?

Following PM Modi and the US President’s conversation, the White House said in a statement that the leaders committed that the US and India will “work closely together to win fight against Covid-19 pandemic, renew their partnership on climate change, rebuild the global economy in a way that benefits the people of both countries.”

The White House added, “The leaders [PM Modi and President Biden] also agreed to continue close cooperation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, including support for freedom of navigation, territorial integrity & a stronger regional architecture through the Quad.”

In the statement, it added that US President Joe Biden underscored his desire to defend democratic institutions and norms around the world and noted the shared commitment to democratic values is the bedrock of the US-India relationship and resolved that rule of law and democratic process must be upheld in Burma.

Prime Minister Modi had earlier spoken to Joe Biden after his electoral triumph over Donald Trump in the US polls. At that time, the two leaders had discussed the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, while reiterating their firm commitment to the strategic bilateral partnership.

On January 20, PM Modi had congratulated Joe Biden for assuming office as the 46th President of the US. "My warmest congratulations to @JoeBiden on his assumption of office as President of the United States of America. I look forward to working with him to strengthen India-US strategic partnership," PM Modi had tweeted.

In November last year, the two had spoken when Joe Biden was announced as the President-elect.

In a tweet, PM Modi had 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."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had last met Joe Biden in Washington on September 30, 2014, when the latter was vice president to Barack Obama.