White House statement says ‘Looking forward to host PM Modi’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the US for an official state visit from June 21 to 24, where he will be hosted by US President Joe Biden at the White House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a maiden four-day state visit to the US beginning June 21. He will make history by being the only Indian prime minister to twice address a joint session of the US Congress and the third Indian leader to pay a state visit to the nation.

US National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby stated at a press conference on Monday In response to a question on whether US President Joe Biden is committed to holding a joint news conference with PM Modi during his visit, Kirby said, “I don’t believe that the full agenda has been fleshed out for the state visit, but we are very much looking forward to having Prime Minister Modi here.”

“As you know, the United States has a significant defense partnership with India and terrific cooperation inside the Quad, across the Indo-Pacific with India. There’s a lot to talk about. We’re looking forward to the visit,” Kirby added. The US is looking forward to hosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He remarked on the “significant defense partnership” and “terrific cooperation” between the US and India in Quad.

At the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States from June 21 to June 24. Indian diaspora in the US is also eagerly awaiting PM Modi’s arrival. On June 22, more than 7000 Indian Americans are planning to be on the South Lawns of the White House when US President Biden and the First Lady would welcome PM Modi amidst a 21-gun salute.

Almost 600 community members are preparing to collect at Freedom Plaza in front of the Willard Intercontinental in Washington, which is close to the White House and where the Prime Minister will be staying during his visit, while a group of Indian Americans is planning to go to Andrews Air Force Base when the Prime Minister’s Air India One arrives on June 21 in the afternoon from New York.

In the US, PM Modi will also address the chairman and CEOs of top US companies at John F Kennedy Centre in Washington. During his visit, PM Modi will address a joint session of the United States Congress on June 22.

The invitation to deliver such a historic speech was extended by both the House of Representatives and the Senate, demonstrating bipartisan support and respect for Prime Minister Modi in the United States. He would be the first Indian PM to address a joint session of the US Congress twice.

President Biden praised PM Modi’s address to US Congress in 2016 in White House invitation

The invitation letter from the President and First Lady praised PM Modi’s last historic address seven years ago, which helped cement the connection between the two countries. The White House emphasized in its message that it was an occasion to reaffirm the two countries’ deep and close alliance.

The timing of Modi’s visit coincides with a busy diplomatic schedule for both nations. The PM and Biden are anticipated to interact several more times this year, including during the G7 summit in Hiroshima, their simultaneous trip to Papua New Guinea, the Quad leaders’ level summit in Australia later this month, and Biden’s possible combined visit to New Delhi for the G20 summit in September.

The foreign policy apparatuses in Delhi and Washington, DC, are eager to build on the momentum of the partnership this year because both India and the US will be holding elections in 2024.