PM Modi to go to White House on June 22 for state visit aimed at boosting ties

WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his first ever state visit to Washington DC on June 22 after nearly nine years at the helm during which time he has routinely made annual trips to the United States.
Both the White House and ministry of external affairs issued differently worded statements formally announcing the state visit, which is considered to be the highest expression of friendly bilateral relations between two sovereign nations, typically close allies or partners. It generally includes pomp, ceremony, reception, and a swish state dinner.
President Biden, evidently keen to upgrade already strong ties with India, has hosted two state dinners during his term -- for French President Emmanuel Macron in December 2022 and for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol last month. The last Indian prime minister to attend a state dinner at the White House was Dr Manmohan Singh in 2009 during the Obama presidency.
"The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together," the White House said in a statement announcing the visit, invoking a personal people-to-people element to the trip.
Citing the geo-political angle, it said the "visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space."
"The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security," it added.
India's MEA on its part said the visit will "underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the United States as the two nations collaborate across numerous sectors" and added that the leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry, education, research, clean energy, defense, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections.
Prime Minister Modi and President Biden will also explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in pluri-lateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20, it said, adding that the to leaders would reflect on their shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement.
President Biden is expected to be in India for the G20 meeting in September soon after the Modi visit.
Typically, Prime Minister Modi comes to the US on official working visits, with a community reception on the sidelines in one of tier one US cities -- such as New York, San Francisco, and Houston.