Biden Seeks to Bolster Ties With Modi While Soft-Pedaling Differences
World,Foreign Policy,White House,US Congress,India,Narendra Modi,Asia,Joe Biden,Defense And Security,Trade,China,Russia,US House,US Senate
President Biden emphasized common ground with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on Thursday during a lavish state visit meant to bolster ties with the world’s most populous nation, but he publicly skirted points of friction over the crackdown on human rights in India and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
After a pomp-filled, red-carpet arrival ceremony, Mr. Biden and Mr. Modi announced a range of initiatives to advance cooperation in technology, energy and military hardware but announced no movement toward each other on the areas of disagreement that have strained the relationship in recent months, especially Ukraine.
In a modest but notable breakthrough, however, Mr. Biden coaxed Mr. Modi into taking questions from reporters at a news conference, apparently the first time he had done so in his nearly decade-long tenure. Challenged on his record on human rights and religious freedom, Mr. Modi insisted that democracy is “in India’s DNA” and denied that his government has engaged in discrimination based on race, faith or other such distinctions.
