Biden Calls India’s Modi, Seeks to Strengthen Regional Security

President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed in a telephone call to strengthen Indo-Pacific security through the Quad grouping of countries that is seen as a way to push back against China’s growing assertiveness in the region.

India, United States, Japan and Australia are members of the Quad, an informal group that Washington has been promoting to work as a potential bulwark against China’s increasing political, commercial and military activity in the Indo-Pacific, diplomats say.

Biden spoke to Modi on Monday night in his first call since taking office last month and noted that India-U.S. ties were held together by a shared commitment to democratic values.

“The leaders agreed to continuing 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,” the White House said in a statement.

China has denounced the Quad as an attempt to contain its development and urged the United States to drop its “Cold War mentality.”

Biden and Modi also agreed to work closely to fight COVID-19, renew their partnership on climate change and defend democratic institution and norms around the world, including in Myanmar, where the military seized power last week.