"We Engage, We Get Better": Joe Biden Heads To India For G20 Summit

United States President Joe Biden on Friday said that he is headed for India to hold discussions with other G20 leaders on several pressing world issues. Taking to his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account, Biden said that every time the G20 engages, it "gets better".

"I'm headed to the G20 - the premier forum for international economic cooperation - focused on making progress on Americans' priorities, delivering for developing nations, and showing our commitment to the G20 as a forum that can deliver. Every time we engage, we get better," Joe Biden said.

The 80-year-old tested negative for Covid shortly before he was due to depart, the White House said, clearing him to travel after a scare when his wife -- Jill Biden -- came down with a mild case on Monday.

According to the White House, the United States wants to show the G20 can deliver at a time when the BRICS club of emerging economies -- which includes India but has been championed largely by China and Russia -- is expanding.

"As the president heads to the G20, he's committed to working with emerging market partners to deliver big things together," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan told a briefing ahead of the summit.

"That's what we believe the world will see in New Delhi this weekend," he added.

Biden will also hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, where the two leaders are expected to review the progress made on decisions they took during their last meeting in Washington in June.

Prominent issues that could feature during the meeting could be Ukraine, critical and emerging technology and some of the deals that were announced like that of the drones with General Atomics and jet engines with General Electric.

(With agency inputs)