PM Modi's US visit: Ukraine and Gaza conflicts on agenda

NEW DELHI: New initiatives to boost cooperation to ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific, ways to find peaceful solutions to the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and addressing concerns of the global South will be the focus of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to the US beginning Saturday.

Modi will attend the annual Quad summit at Wilmington in Delaware, address the Summit of the Future at the UN General Assembly in New York, hold a roundtable with CEOs of top American firms working in the technology sector and hold bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden and several other global leaders.

The prime minister's first destination will be Wilmington, the hometown of Biden where he will join the US president, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida at the Quad summit on September 21.

Modi will hold separate bilateral talks with all the three Quad leaders.

The Quad summit is expected to discuss ways to expand cooperation among the member nations to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific besides deliberating on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

"We expect new initiatives to be announced," Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said.

The Quad leaders will unveil a "milestone" initiative to prevent, detect, treat and alleviate the impact of cancer on patients and their families.

Misri said there will be a strong focus on peace, progress and stability in the Indo-Pacific at the Quad summit, adding the leaders will discuss health security, climate change, emerging technologies, infrastructure, connectivity, counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance.

To a question on India's possible role of a peace-maker to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Misri told a media briefing that New Delhi is involved in a set of several conversations with important partners and leaders on it.

"We are involved in a set of several conversations with several important partners and leaders at this point in time. These conversations are a work in progress and we will update you on the results of this conversation at the right time," he said.

"At the present moment, we remain engaged with our interlocutors on these very important issues," Misri said.

From Wilmington, Modi will travel to New York to attend an Indian community event at Long Island on September 22 and address the Summit of the Future at the UN General Assembly the next day. In New York, The prime minister will also attend a roundtable with CEOs of American firms working in areas of AI, quantum computing and semiconductors.

Asked whether Modi will put forward any proposal at the Summit of the Future to bring peace to Ukraine, Misri did not give a direct reply.

"As you know, the prime minister recently visited Russia and Ukraine, and after those visits, he also held discussions with leaders, including President Biden and President (Vladimir) Putin.

"Our National Security Advisor also had discussions with President Putin during his visit to Russia. So, I can only say at this point that these talks are ongoing between the leaders," Misri said.

"As for putting forward any proposal, we'll have to see how much consensus is reached and whether we can reach a stage where a proposal can be put before a larger audience. So, I think we need to wait a little, and at the right time, we will be able to update you on this," he added.

Asked about India's priorities at the Summit of the Future, Misri said a host of issues including concerns of the Global South are expected to figure.

"I won't be able to preview or pre-empt the prime minister's remarks at this very important event. But I would underline that the summit is being held at a time of conflict, tensions and divisions in the world," he said.

"There is an obvious deficit of development in the world at large and the Global South is at the risk of being left behind on account of current developments," he said.

Misri said the world is also "playing catch-up" in so far as fulfillment of the very important Sustainable Development Goals is concerned.

"There are a host of issues related to climate, to education, to youth, gender, energy, infrastructure and the digital divide. So I would imagine that the prime minister's message and India's message will take many of these issues into consideration and highlight India's approaches on all of these issues," he said.

The 'Summit of the Future' will bring leaders from various countries to forge a new international consensus on how to deliver a "better present and safeguard the future", according to the UN. On the conflict in Gaza, Misri reiterated India's long-held position.

"We have always stood for a ceasefire in so far as the immediate events are concerned, the need to ensure a humanitarian corridor and the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza, and for the immediate release of the hostages so that we can work towards a more sustainable and broad-based settlement in the area," he said.

"Our long-term approach towards this issue has also long been clear. We are in favour of a two-state solution, States of Israel and Palestine living at peace with each other within stable borders and secure borders for both of them," he added.