Before leaving for the United States on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that his visit was an “occasion to strengthen strategic partnership with the US and consolidate ties with Japan and Australia.” Modi will be attending the first in-person Quad leaders’ summit and will also be meeting with US President Joe Biden for the first time since he assumed office earlier this year.

“During my visit to the US between September 22-25, I will review India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with President Joe Biden and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” Modi said.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Modi added that he will be participating in the Quad Leaders’ Summit along with President Biden, Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan. “The Summit provides an opportunity to take stock of the outcomes of our Virtual Summit in March this year and identify priorities for future engagements based on our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.

He will also be meeting with Prime Minister Morrison and Prime Minister Suga to take stock of the bilateral ties with their countries, so that they can continue their “useful exchanges on regional and global issues.”

Modi will conclude his visit with an address at the United Nations General Assembly, where he will focus on the challenges facing the world today — including the coronavirus pandemic, the need to combat terrorism and climate change.

Referring to his first meet with Vice President Kamala Harris, who is of Indian origin, Modi said he was “looking forward” to the talks to explore opportunities for cooperation, particularly in the areas of science and technology. Modi will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.