SOURCE: HT
A telephone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US president-elect Joe Biden will happen “in due course” at a mutually convenient time, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday. Statements issued by Biden’s transition team over the past two days said the president-elect had so far spoken on the phone with the leaders of France, Germany, Ireland, the UK, Australia, Japan and South Korea.
Responding to a question at the weekly news briefing on a call between Modi and Biden, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said it would “happen in due course at a mutually convenient time”.
He noted that the Prime Minister had congratulated Biden through a tweet on November 8 and also appreciated the president-elect’s contribution to strengthening India-US relations in his former capacity as vice president.
Modi had also conveyed that he “looks forward to working with [Biden] to take India-US relations to greater heights”, Srivastava said.
Srivastava said the foundation of the India-US relationship is strong and the comprehensive global strategic partnership between the two countries has bipartisan support from the Republican and Democratic parties in the US. “It has also been seen that every successive US president and administration has raised the status of these relations,” he said.
Modi had tweeted separate congratulatory messages to Biden and vice president-elect Kamala Harris, the first woman and the first Indian American person to be elected to the position.
“Congratulations @JoeBiden on your spectacular victory! As the VP, your contribution to strengthening Indo-US relations was critical and invaluable. I look forward to working closely together once again to take India-US relations to greater heights,” he said.
“Heartiest congratulations @KamalaHarris! Your success is pathbreaking, and a matter of immense pride not just for your chittis, but also for all Indian-Americans. I am confident that the vibrant India-US ties will get even stronger with your support and leadership,” Modi added.
Biden’s outreach to and contacts with world leaders has been affected by the lack of cooperation from the outgoing Donald Trump administration, which has refused to accept the results of the US elections.
