New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with US President Joseph R Biden on Tuesday and expressed satisfaction at the deepening of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, which has resulted in robust growth in all domains.
The leaders welcome the landmark agreement between Air India and Boeing as a "shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation that will help create new employment opportunities in both countries." PM Modi invited Boeing and other US companies to make use of the opportunities arising due to the expanding civil aviation sector in India.
Earlier in the day, Biden announced that Air India will buy 220 planes from Boeing for $34 billion, with an option to buy 70 more aircraft that could take the total transaction value to $45.9 billion. The US President described the deal as a "historic agreement". "The United States can and will lead the world in manufacturing. I am proud to announce today the purchase of over 200 American-made aircraft through a historic agreement between Air India and Boeing. This purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree. This announcement also reflects the strength of the U.S.-India economic partnership. Together with Prime Minister Modi, I look forward to deepening our partnership even further as we continue to confront shared global challenges —creating a more secure and prosperous future for all of our citizens," Biden said in a statement.
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Meanwhile, PM Modi and Biden also welcomed the first meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) held recently in Washington DC and expressed a keen desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation in space, semi-conductors, defence and other spheres. They agreed to bolster the vibrant and mutually beneficial people-to-people ties between the two countries. The leaders agreed to remain in contact during India’s ongoing G20 Presidency to ensure its success.
