Joe Biden to arrive in Delhi tomorrow, will hold bilateral with PM Modi

US President Joe Biden is all set to visit India tomorrow and is “very excited” about the important initiatives he will be championing at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, according to senior White House officials.

Biden will follow the Covid-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during his visit to India for the G20 Summit.

First Lady Jill Biden, 72, tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday. President Biden, 80, was tested for the virus on Monday and Tuesday following his wife’s positive test, but his results were negative.

The White House said the president has tested negative twice and there is no change in his travel plans for India.

India, the current president of the G20, will be hosting global leaders for the G20 Summit scheduled between September 9 and 10 in New Delhi. The theme of this year’s G20 is “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” or “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.

“On Thursday (September 7), the President will travel to New Delhi, India to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. On Friday, the President will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” the White House said in its week ahead schedule of the president released Friday night.

During the Summit, Biden will commend PM Modi for his leadership of the G20, the White House said.

Both the leaders are expected to discuss the economic and social impacts of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine, and increase the capacity of multilateral development banks, including the World Bank, to better fight poverty, including by addressing global challenges, among others.

Biden is scheduled to travel to Hanoi, Vietnam on September 10 after the G20 Summit.