PM Modi to visit US next month, meet Joe Biden & attend UNGA session: Sources

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the United States by the end of September. According to ANI sources, preparations are underway and a tentative plan is being chalked out for PM's visit. While there is no official confirmation, PM Modi is likely to visit the US on September 23-24. He will also attend the annual high-level United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session. 

According to sources, the Taliban takeover and the Afghanistan crisis will be the key topic of the UNGA session this year. The session is expected to be in a hybrid format. The United States has urged more than 150 countries that are planning to send a video address, to attend the assembly in person instead.

PM Modi's last visit to the US was in 2019 ahead of the US Presidential Elections. Here, he had attended the mammoth 'Howdy Modi' event alongside former President Donald Trump in Houston. If the plans materialise, then this will be PM Modi's first in-person meeting with US president Joe Biden. The two leaders have met virtually in several multilateral meetings like the Quad and G7.

Earlier today, Foreign Secretary HV Shringla had indicated that there is a possibility of a Quad meet saying that PM Modi would be happy to attend the summit if it takes place. "I mean, look, I can't comment on that, but the fact of the matter is that if there is a summit, Prime Minister has already said that he would, he would be happy to attend that summit. I think other leaders have also said that they will be ready so it all it's all a question of, you know, getting the leaders together and going ahead," he said.

"If the leaders come in they would come because of this (Quad) meeting, as you know the UNGA is this time is a truncated version, it's a hybrid version. Very few heads of state and government will actually attend it. So, attending that meeting in person is not a great priority. But then again, I mean, it's a fluid situation so let's see how that goes," he added.

(With Agency Inputs)