Climate change will be a notable component in the agenda for the meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 28, the U.S. administration has said. The Obama administration has been pressing the Modi government to make more commitments in combating climate change and the Prime Minister’s six-day tour of the U.S. may give some signals regarding India’s position at the COP in Paris later this year.
“Notably, India will be critical to a successful global effort to combat climate change, so the two leaders will certainly address their shared vision of how to approach the upcoming meetings in Paris,” Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes said.
“We are deeply committed to strengthening the U.S.-Indian relationship, building our economic and commercial ties, advancing our political and security cooperation in Asia and around the world,” he said. “The President’s meeting with Prime Minister Modi will be very important because India, of course, is also another major economy — a major emitter and we’ll want to continue the discussions that we had in India about what Prime Minister Modi is prepared to do to support successful international action against climate change,” Mr. Rhodes said.
Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup said it was not appropriate to pre-empt the discussion before the two leaders met. “When two leaders meet, they may choose to discuss many things,” he said, without specifically responding to Mr. Rhodes’ statement.