President Biden: Raised issue of human rights and press freedom

NEW DELHI: US President Joe Biden discussed issues related to human rights and press freedom with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the former’s visit to India for the G20 summit.

Addressing a press conference in Vietnam on Sunday (September 10), US President Joe Biden said that he had a “substantial discussions” with PM Narendra Modi.

“I raised the importance of respecting human rights and the vital role the civil society and a free press have in building a strong and prosperous country with Modi,” the US President said.

Biden and Modi also discussed on ways to strengthen Indo-US ties.

Biden said: “He and I have had substantial discussions about how we’re going to continue to strengthen the partnership between India and the US.”

A joint statement issued after Modi and Biden held bilateral talks on September 08 stated: “The leaders re-emphasised that the shared values of freedom, democracy, human rights, inclusion, pluralism and equal opportunities for all citizens are critical to the success our countries enjoy and that these values strengthen our relationship.”