NSA Jake Sullivan said US President Joe Biden won’t be able to visit India for the Republic Day celebrations but remains committed to deepening ties between the two nations.

New Delhi: President of the United States (POTUS) Joe Biden won’t be able to visit India in later January but remains “personally committed” to closer ties between the two nations and shares a “close personal bond” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi with whom he looks forward in engaging in “in the weeks and months ahead”, US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan said.

In first comments by any top American official on Biden cancelling his visit to India, Sullivan, according to a Hindustan Times (HT) report, said the US President won’t be able to travel to India for the Republic Day celebrations “due to scheduling demands”.

“We have notified Indian officials that the President would be unable to visit India in late January,” said the NSA

On December 12, it was reported that Joe Biden is not expected to travel to India next month to for the Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest.

Quad Summit postponed

With Biden understood to have not planned a trip to India in January, it is learnt that the summit of four-nation coalition Quad is also not taking place next month as expected earlier, news agency PTI reported.

In September, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said Prime Minister Modi invited President Biden to be the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26. However, there was no comment by India on the invitation.

As per the report, the Quad summit is not taking place in India in January and it is now proposed to be held in the country in the later part of 2024. It was expected that the Quad summit would take place around January 27 if Biden accepted India’s invite.

“The Quad Summit in India is proposed to be held later in 2024. We are looking for revised dates as the dates currently under consideration do not work with all the Quad partners,” PTI quoted a source as saying.

‘Personal bond with PM Modi’

Commenting on the Biden declining the invite, Sullivan said the President remains committed to deepening ties with India and shares a personal bond with PM Modi.

“In June, and again in September, the President and Prime Minister affirmed a vision of the United States and India as among the closest partners in the world – and have worked steadily to advance our strategic partnership across all domains, including in critical and emerging technology, space, defence and much more. This work will continue,” Sullivan said, according to the HT report.

The NSA said he witnessed “first-hand” the “close personal bond” between Biden and Modi, as well as their “shared commitment to advancing the aspirations of their people for a prosperous future”.

“The President remains personally committed to carrying forward this partnership, which he has often described as the most consequential partnership for the US over the century unfolding,” Sullivan said.

Last month, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin visited India for the ‘2+2’ ministerial dialogue.

US Principal Deputy NSA Jonathan Finer visited India last week and, currently, FBI Director Christopher Wray is on a trip to New Delhi.

The visit by Finer and Wray came against the backdrop of Washington’s allegations about an Indian link to a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist on American soil.

(With inputs from agencies)