US President Donald Trump to deliver State of the Union address on January 30

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union Address in a joint session of the Congress on January 30 next year, the White House said today.

"We're pleased to announce that the President has accepted the Speaker's invitation to deliver the State of the Union Address on January 30th," White House Press Secretary Sarah sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said this will be a good opportunity for the country to hear directly from the President on the progress "we have made and on the work that remains to be done on our shared agenda".

The State of the Union address is a presidential obligation that allows the US leader to explain to the American people and their elected representatives his priorities for the coming year.

The long-standing tradition first began on January, 8, 1790 when George Washington gave his address.

"Today we are in the midst of a historic effort to provide relief to hardworking taxpayers, grow our economy, and rebuild our military for the 21st century. Looking ahead, the new year will bring an opportunity to take account of the progress we have made but also lay out the work that still remains to be done on behalf of the American people," Ryan said in his invitation letter to Trump.

Trump addressed a joint session of the Congress early this year, a month after he was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States. However, this was not an official State of the Union Address.