Modi and Biden speak over phone, vow to strengthen Quad

By Anish Kumar | First Published Feb 9, 2021, 8:38 AM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and newly-elected US President Joe Biden have discussed regional and issues relating to shared priorities of the two countries.

This was the first time that the two leaders had a direct conversation.

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Modi conveyed his best wishes to Biden for his success.

"Spoke to Joe Biden and conveyed my best wishes for his success. We discussed regional issues and our shared priorities. We also agreed to further our co-operation against climate change," the prime minister said in a tweet.

The two leaders also reiterated their commitment to a rule-based international order.

In another tweet, Prime Minister said, "President Joe Biden and I are committed to a rules-based international order. We look forward to consolidating our strategic partnership to further peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond."

A White House statement said that the two leaders agreed to continue close cooperation to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, including support for freedom of navigation, territorial integrity, and a stronger regional architecture through the Quad.

Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had spoken to their respective counterparts.

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