'Jab dil ke darwaze ...': PM Modi's meeting with Biden was an emotional one, says foreign secretary Misri

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden’s bilateral meeting in Wilmington was an emotional one, marking their final official encounter as Biden is not running for reelection, with the prime minister stating that "Jab dil ke darwaze khul jaate hain, to ghar ke darwaze bhi khul jaate hain" according to foreign secretary Vikram Misri on Sunday.
The talks were held at Biden's private home in Delaware on Saturday, where the leaders discussed various important aspects of the relationship between India and the United States.
"In fact, he (PM Modi) mentioned to him (Biden) that in India we say "Jab dil ke darwaze khul jaate hain, to ghar ke darwaze bhi khul jaate hain" meaning when the doors of the heart open, so do the doors of the house. He said that you have opened the doors of your home to us. The fact that the doors of your heart have been opened to us has been known for a long time," Misri said during a special briefing in New York on the first day of PM Modi's three-day visit to the United States.
"As to the atmosphere in the meeting with President Biden, it was indeed an emotional moment. Prime Minister was aware of the fact that in a sense it was a farewell meeting with President Biden and the fact that it was taking place at his personal residence made it all the more special," Misri said in the wee hours of Sunday, according to news agency PTI.
"The setting of the meeting itself was very special," he added.
Throughout the past four years, PM Modi and Biden have developed a strong bond of friendship and have collaborated closely to tackle various global and regional challenges. In the previous year, Biden extended an invitation to PM Modi for the momentous official State Visit, further solidifying their partnership.
Earlier, the White House released a statement on US-India bilateral relations, and said that, "The US-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership, the defining partnership of the 21st century, is decisively delivering on an ambitious agenda that serves the global good."