CNN –
Reporters traveling with President Joe Biden to the G20 summit in India this week will not have the opportunity to ask questions of Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the two leaders meet in New Delhi, despite multiple calls Government requests for more access to the press. The White House announced this on Thursday evening.
“This meeting will be held at the Prime Minister’s Residence, so it is unusual in that regard – this is not a typical bilateral visit to India where the meetings take place at the Prime Minister’s Office and a full program is held,” the national security adviser said Jake Sullivan on Thursday. “This is the host of the G20 summit, hosting a significant number of heads of state and government at his home, and he has set the protocols that he has established.”
In a subsequent exchange, Sullivan told reporters, “Of course,” the administration pushed for a pool spraying of the meeting, as is customary when Biden hosts world leaders at the White House, and joked, “We spend our lives asking for pool sprays and.” other things to ask reporters.
Modi, who drew international criticism from press freedom groups that criticized the Indian prime minister over his crackdown on independent reporting, has rarely asked questions since taking power.
During a state visit in June, Modi agreed to attend a press conference at the White House after lengthy, delicate negotiations between the two sides. Indian officials initially balked at the White House’s insistence on holding such an event, two prominent U.S. officials told CNN at the time.
The government has been quick to point out that the president is prepared to criticize Modi on press freedom and humanitarian issues under his rule. During his visit in June, six Democratic lawmakers boycotted Modi’s speech to Congress, with Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez citing India’s treatment of Muslim minorities in the country.
But Biden warmly welcomed the Indian prime minister to the White House and marked the occasion with a formal state dinner – only the third of his term – for the controversial Indian leader, noting the two nations’ shared commitment to democracy.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday that the administration would “do our best” to ensure media access to the president during his trip to India for the summit.
A number of officials, including Sullivan, White House Communications Director Ben LaBolt, Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer and Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell, all contacted their Indian counterparts to request more press access during the meeting to use a visit – apparently without success.
“We got in touch, we’ve made the request multiple times and at different pressure points if you will – at the NPC level, comms level, the folks on the ground who are doing a lot of hard work on the ground to ensure this.” “This trip is going smoothly, not just for the president, for all of you, for all of us,” she said. “And so it happened, we did the work. I mean, I would leave it to the Indian government to speak for itself.”
“Look, all of us, on behalf of the president, are trying our best to make this happen — and that’s why we’re going to keep working on it,” she added.
Instead of addressing reporters after the summit concludes in New Delhi, Biden will hold a news conference in Vietnam, where the White House said it would be “easier” for the president to answer questions from reporters.
“It was just logistically easier to do — and it wouldn’t change anything because the president would have just held a solo press conference.” So instead of doing it in India, he’s going to do it in Vietnam, it doesn’t change anything,” Jean said -Pierre.
However, aside from Biden’s meeting with Modi, it is unlikely that there will be many formal discussions with world leaders while attending the G20 summit, Sullivan said.
“I can’t confirm any (bilateral meetings) and to be honest I don’t think you’ll see a significant number of formal meetings with other leaders because of the structure of the schedule,” he said. “I think that the majority of the work that he will do over the course of the 48 hours he will spend in Delhi with a number of major leaders will be more informal, on the sidelines, rather than formal meeting discussions, so I think it is appropriate.” “I have no bilats to announce today.”