PM Modi, President Biden discuss terrorism and pressing global challenges: Foreign Secretary

Washington: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden discussed all pressing challenges confronting the global community in their talks and exchanged views on how India and the US could cooperate to mitigate, address and deal with terrorism comprehensively, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has said.

Kwatra briefed reporters on the outcomes of the second day of Modi's visit that began here with a grand ceremonial welcome on the South Lawn of the White House.

It was followed by bilateral discussions, remarks to the press, an address to the joint session of the US Congress and the state dinner where high-profile invited guests included Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai.

"Besides the reference in the US Congress to the challenge of terrorism, the prime minister said that even after the two decades of 9/11 and a decade of 26/11, the problem of terrorism remains a pressing challenge for the global community,” Kwatra told reporters in a media briefing on Thursday.

He said Modi was clearly highlighting the need for “the international community to recognise that the people who sponsor terrorism, support terrorism, they continue to pose a serious challenge to the safety and security of our societies and have to be very sternly and firmly dealt with".

He said when Prime Minister Modi and President Biden held their discussions, “all aspects of such global challenges were discussed between the two and how India and US could cooperate to mitigate, address and try and deal with this challenge as comprehensively as possible."

"That was also discussed between the two leaders. And going forward, it would be our effort to see how some of those discussions can translate into concrete cooperative decisions between India and the US,” he said.

In his address to the US Congress on Thursday, Modi said, “These ideologies keep taking new identities and forms, but their intentions are the same. Terrorism is an enemy of humanity and there can be no ifs or buts in dealing with it. We must overcome all such forces sponsoring and exporting terror”.

Kwatra also said technology cooperation featured prominently in the discussion between India and the US and described it as one of the most substantive outcomes of Prime Minister Modi's visit.

"Very clearly, technology, in particular, advanced technology, across all domains ranging from defence to space and energy is one of the most important substantive outcomes," he said.

"Technology featured in talks, not in a limited way but technology cooperation across the ecosystem. This included technology transfer, services and working together in research among other domains," he added.

Kwatra said one theme which has run through the visit is the "exceptional warmth and hospitality" US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden extended to Modi.

"The visit has been extremely rich in form and equally, if not more, rich in substance," he said, describing the trip as "path-breaking." He referred to various deals, including in defence, to highlight the visit's achievements.