President Joe Biden will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his first official event in India under a comprehensive schedule that the White House released late Wednesday, after Biden again tested negative for COVID-19.

The trip will have Biden meeting with heads of the top industrial nations in New Delhi, although his only event Friday after a long-haul flight is his meeting with Modi.

The trip comes a day after Biden laughed off covid masking guidance at a White House labor event on Wednesday, entering the event without his black mask.

‘I’ve been tested again today, I’m clear across the board. But they keep telling me, because this has to be 10 days or something, I got to keep wearing it,’ he quipped.

'There is no change,' the White House said when asked if Biden's trip to India and Vietnam was still on. Biden tested negative for COVID-19 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the White House said. It was unclear if he would take another test before his scheduled departure Thursday

‘There is no change,’ the White House said when asked if Biden’s trip to India and Vietnam was still on. Biden tested negative for COVID-19 Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, the White House said. It was unclear if he would take another test before his scheduled departure Thursday

‘But don´t tell them I didn’t have it on when I walked in, alright?’ 

That came a day after he was slammed for walking out of a Medal of Honor ceremony, again unmasked, while Vietnam War hero Larry Taylor was left standing on stage. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that was done as planned.

She also brushed off questions about masking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, which states that those exposed to the virus should mask up for 10 days. First lady Jill Biden tested positive for COVID on Monday and is ‘doing well,’ said Jean-Pierre.

Biden is set to leave D.C. on Thursday afternoon, although Jean-Pierre was indirect when asked about Biden’s testing regimen going forward.

‘I don’t have any timeline on his test – on his testing cadence,’ she said.

She said the White House had been ‘pretty transparent,’ adding, ‘We shared that on Monday. We shared on Tuesday. And, certainly, we shared that today.’

‘But we’ve been very clear: All travelers who are going to India will be tested, including the President. As I mentioned, the President was tested today and tested negative, which is a good thing. We’re happy to hear that.’

From left to right, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China's Premier Li Qiang and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris walk to attend the East Asia Summit at the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. Biden will meet Modi on Friday as his first event at the G20 summit

From left to right, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China’s Premier Li Qiang and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris walk to attend the East Asia Summit at the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023. Biden will meet Modi on Friday as his first event at the G20 summit

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives for the gala dinner at the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta. Biden is scheduled to attend a dinner at the G20 summit in New Delhi

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives for the gala dinner at the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta. Biden is scheduled to attend a dinner at the G20 summit in New Delhi

President Joe Biden holds up a face mask during a speech at the White House. It wasn't clear whether he would mask-up when meeting the leaders of the G20

President Joe Biden holds up a face mask during a speech at the White House. It wasn’t clear whether he would mask-up when meeting the leaders of the G20

Asked if Biden’s trip was a go, Jean-Pierre responded: ‘There is no change.’

According to the ‘comprehensive’ schedule released by the White House, Biden is set to take part in an official arrival and handshake with Modi on Saturday, then attend sessions on ‘One Earth’ and ‘One Family,’ along with an infrastructure event.

The schedule says he will participate in a ‘dinner and cultural program with G20 leaders’ – although he skipped it last year at the summit in Bali, Indonesia.

On Sunday, he and other G20 leaders will visit the Raj Ghat Memorial to Gandhi and other historic figures. Then he heads to Hanoi, where he will hold a press conference and meet with General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

With Biden facing the risk of contracting covid, the White House was asked this week if Vice President Kamala Harris might go in his place.

She is completing her final events at the ASEAN summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, with plans to head out Thursday with a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska.

Harris did attend the cultural evening program at her event. 

Wednesday’s dinner featured a red carpet, although such events have a diplomatic function. According to a White House official ‘on the margins of the Gala Dinner,’ Harris met with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, discussing maritime issues and other matters.

Neither China’s President Xi Jinping nor Russia’s President Vladimir Putin are attending the G20, although an India-China rivalry and Russia’s war on Ukraine will be underlying subjects. 

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Post source: Daily mail