In his first face-to-face interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after getting elected as the President of the United States, Joe Biden on Friday greeting the Indian leader with delight, saying, “It’s great to see you.”

Meeting virtually at the first-ever Quadrilateral leaders’ summit, the two leaders reiterated their “shared vision for the free and open Indo-Pacific” and upheld their mutual commitment to democratic institutions.

Speaking at the First Quad Leaders’ Virtual Summit. https://t.co/Ypom6buHxS

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2021

“A free and open Indo-Pacific is essential to each of our futures,” Biden said in his opening remarks, while PM Modi commenced his address by saying, “We are united by our democratic values.”

Prior to this, Biden and Modi have interacted twice over the telephone. They first interacted last November after Biden won the US elections. During the call, Biden raised the issues of “strengthening democracy at home and overseas”. The Indian government said “Modi warmly congratulated President-elect Biden on his election, describing it as a testament to the strength and resilience of democratic traditions in the United States.”

The second interaction was in February, when the two leaders underscored the need to defend democracy around the world.

PM Modi was quick to send his congratulations to Biden when he took over the Oval Office in January. “I look forward to working with him to strengthen India-US strategic partnership,” he said in a tweet.