Rama Krishna Sangem
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on June 20, Tuesday, left for the US for his first state visit to the country and second by an Indian prime minister. He will be in the US for four days from June 21- 24. During the visit, PM Modi is expected to sign key defence deals with the US worth 3 billion US dollars (about Rs 25,000 crore).
Here is the detailed schedule of his visit and his remarks on his meetings there.
In a statement issued before leaving, PM Modi said, “I am travelling to the United States of America on a state visit at the invitation of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. This special invitation is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between our democracies.”
PM Modi will commence his visit in New York, where he will celebrate the International Day of Yoga on June 21 at the headquarters of the United Nations (UN). “I look forward to this special celebration at the very location that supported India’s proposal in December 2014 to recognize an International Day of Yoga,” Modi said
Washington DC and state dinner
He will then travel to Washington DC, where he will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22 and meet Biden to continue their high-level dialogue. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a state dinner in honour of the prime minister the same evening, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The PM will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22.
India-US ties are multifaceted, with deepening engagements across sectors. USA is India’s largest trade partner in goods and services. We collaborate closely in science and technology, education, health, defence and security fields. The initiative on critical and emerging technologies has added new dimensions and widened collaboration to defence industrial cooperation, space, telecom, quantum, artificial intelligence and biotech sectors. Our two countries are also collaborating to further our shared vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” Modi said in the statement.
Modi added that his meeting with Biden and other senior US leaders “will provide an opportunity to consolidate our bilateral cooperation as well as in plurilateral forums such as G20, Quad and IPEF”.
n June 23, PM Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In addition to official engagements, the prime minister is scheduled to have several curated interactions with leading chief executive officers (CEOs), professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora.
Meeting CEOs, Diaspora
“I will also meet some of the leading CEOs to discuss opportunities for elevating our trade and investment relationship and for building resilient global supply chains,” PM Modi said. He is expected to meet business leaders of 20 top American companies and is also expected to address a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders who have been invited to the John F Kennedy Centre in Washington.
Top 20 business leaders of US companies including Mastercard, Accenture, the Coca-Cola Company, Adobe Systems and Visa are expected to meet with the Prime Minister, news agency ANI reported. Modi’s statement also said, “I am confident that my visit to the US will reinforce our ties based on shared values of democracy, diversity and freedom. Together we stand stronger in meeting the shared global challenges.”
State visit to Egypt
From Washington DC, PM Modi will leave for Egypt’s Cairo for his first state visit to the country between June 24 and 25.
