Diplomatic circles have been speculating that India may hold a Quad Summit in January, in conjunction with the Republic Day celebrations; however, Garcetti has not confirmed whether or not such a conference will take place.
On the sidelines of a think tank event, Garcetti told reporters that Modi invited Biden to join him at the Indian Republic Day celebrations. The two men had met bilaterally on September 8 in conjunction with the summit. If he attends, Biden will join former President Barack Obama as a former sitting US president to serve as the event's keynote guest.
In last month's G20 Summit, Vice President Biden made his first trip to India since taking office. The United States welcomed Modi for a state visit in June, and his recent meeting with Biden was a chance for the two countries to evaluate the development of new initiatives in defense and security, as well as new and emerging technology.
For India, inviting a foreign leader to be the primary guest at Republic Day is a very significant honor. Due to the chaos created by the Covid-19 pandemic, the ceremonies in 2021 and 2022 did not have a major guest, but Egypt's Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was this year's honoree.
Biden's invitation reflects the expanding scope of the India-US strategic partnership, from mutually beneficial defense and security cooperation to joint efforts on initiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which was launched at the G20 Summit.
During their second meeting in three months, Modi and Biden praised the strategic partnership's transformation "across all dimensions of our multifaceted global agenda, based on trust and mutual understanding" and urged their respective governments to continue implementing "groundbreaking achievements" from the Indian premier's state visit to the United States.
India has requested 31 MQ-9B drones from the United States, while talks for a commercial arrangement to produce GE F-414 jet engines in India have recently begun.
In response to a question about what the United States can do to help India cope with China's aggressive moves, Garcetti said, “We’re here for Indian friends in all the many ways they ask for help...America isn’t telling India what it needs, we’re listening at times when there’s requests, we’re helping. We know that this is an existential threat.”
He added, “We know that every single day, India lives...with the thought that borders won’t be respected and sovereignty would be ignored.” According to him, the United States provides India with intelligence, helps it construct a defense deterrent capability, collaborates with India on the creation of cutting-edge technologies, and facilitates interoperability between the two countries' armed forces.
The Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, is not expected to go on January 26 because his country celebrates its national day on that date, despite rumors that the Quad leaders have been jointly invited for Republic Day. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan is also not anticipated to leave the country before the start of the upcoming parliamentary session on January 23.