Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden at his residence later today will see meaningful progress on a number of issues, including the GE jet engine deal.
The procurement of predator drones, on 5G and 6G spectrum, collaboration on critical and emerging technologies, and progress in the civil nuclear area, Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor of the United States, said today.
Mr Sullivan didn’t confirm reports that the US is planning to announce a major rail deal with India and the Arab world to connect Gulf countries and other Arab countries, but said it’s an initiative that the US has invested effort into with its partners.
“We believe that connectivity from India, across the Middle East, to Europe is incredibly important and will bring a significant number of economic benefits, as well as strategic benefits, to all the countries involved. But where things land with respect to any potential announcements this weekend, as opposed to down the line, I can’t say tonight,” he said.
On whether a joint statement by G20 members countries could be expected, Jake Sullivan said he wouldn’t make predictions, but the US is ready to do its part to deliver it.
“Will every country step up, be responsible, be constructive? If the answer to that is yes, then we will get a joint statement. But it’s too soon to tell,” he said.
One stumbling block is Ukraine, Mr Sullivan further said, adding that the other seems to be climate — where oil-producing countries want a certain language, while others are being more ambitious.
He said there also seems to be an effort by China to tie access to technology to climate change language.
“I think the idea of holding climate hostage to a particular country’s priority on some totally separate issue is not the height of responsibility,” he said, adding that we have a climate crisis which we should deal with “on its own terms”.
“It should not be a source of leverage. It should be a source of urgency for countries to actually come to the table and try to solve it,” he added.
China’s effort to link climate to America’s actions on other issues is not a game the US is going to play, and that’s true in the G20 context as well, Mr Sullivan said, adding that he believes that it’s true of other countries’ view too — they do not want climate held hostage.