During the meeting of the Quad leaders, President Biden told Modi that the Indian Prime Minister’s popularity is “causing him a big problem” since he has been getting a deluge of requests from prominent citizens to attend their dinner.
“You are causing me a real problem. Next month we have a dinner for you in Washington. Everyone in the whole country wants to come. I have run out of tickets,” Biden told PM Modi.
“You think I am kidding? Ask my team. I am getting phone calls from people I have never heard of before. Everyone from movie actors to relatives. You are too popular,” sources quoted Biden as saying.
The US President added that PM Modi is demonstrating that “democracies matter”, sources said.
Biden added that PM Modi has also made a significant impact on everything, including the Quad security group that also comprises Japan and Australia.
“You made a fundamental shift in climate. You have influence in Indo-Pacific. You are making a difference,” Biden said as he heaped praise on PM Modi.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who was also present at the meeting, spoke about PM Modi’s immense popularity in the country.
PM Albanese remembered how at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, more than 90,000 people welcomed PM Modi during the victory lap.
To this, Biden told PM Modi, “I should take your autograph.”
PM Narendra Modi will embark on an official state visit to the United States on June 22.
During his visit, the Prime Minister will be hosted by President Biden and first lady Jill Biden at a state dinner at the White House.
“The visit will strengthen the two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space,” the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
“The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security,” it stated further.
(With inputs from ANI)
