PM Modi starts State visit to US: Stronger together in meeting shared challenges

Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves while leaving for his visit to USA, in New Delhi, Tuesday, June 20. 2023. (PTI Photo)

In his statement ahead of departure, the Prime Minister said the special invitation from US President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden is a “reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between our democracies”.

“I am confident that my visit to the US will reinforce our ties based on shared values of democracy, diversity and freedom,” he said. Stating that “President Biden and I have had the opportunity to meet several times since my last official visit to the USA in September 2021,” he said, “This visit will be an opportunity to enrich the depth and diversity of our partnership.”

Modi has travelled to the US seven times in the past nine years. This is his eighth visit, but the first State visit as Prime Minister.

He said that 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 & technology, education, health, defence and security fields. The initiative on Critical & 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,” he said.

“My discussions with President 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,” the Prime Minister said.

“I will also have the pleasure of joining President Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for the State Banquet along with a number of dignitaries. The US Congress has always provided strong bi-partisan support to India-US ties. During my visit, I will address a Joint Session of the US Congress at the invitation of Congressional leadership,” he said.

He will also be hosted by the US Congressional leadership for a reception, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, Minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell. Later, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will host a state luncheon.

“I will commence my visit in New York, where I will celebrate the International Day of Yoga on June 21 at the United Nations Headquarters with the UN leadership and members of the international community. 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 in his statement ahead of departure.

He is expected to be joined by several prominent celebrities, including Hollywood actor Richard Gere, for the Yoga Day celebrations in New York, along with Permanent Representatives of countries based at the UN, sources said. Senior officials from the UN and the President of UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi are also expected to join the Yoga Day celebrations.

After landing in New York Tuesday afternoon (New York time), the Prime Minister is expected to meet Elon Musk, billionaire owner of Tesla and Twitter, the sources said.

He is also likely to meet a range of “thought leaders” – American astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, American author and scholar of Tibetan Buddhism Robert Thurman, Nobel laureate in Economics Paul Romer and Nobel laureate in Chemistry Peter Agre, Lebanese-American essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb and investor Ray Dalio.

While astrophysicist Tyson has praised India’s space missions such as Chandrayaan and Gaganyaan, Nobel laureate Romer has praised India’s Aadhaar scheme. Thurman, who is father of Hollywood actress Uma Thurman, is a close friend of the Dalai Lama and has visited India several times. While author Taleb has praised India’s handling of the pandemic as “wise”, investor Dalio has said that India is set to clock the highest growth in the world.

“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,” Modi said.

During his visit, the Prime Minister is likely to meet Google CEO Sundar Pichai and top business leaders from Amazon, Micron, GE and Boeing among others.

Modi also said, “Strong people-to-people linkages have been instrumental in developing the trust between our countries. I look forward to meeting the vibrant Indian-American community that represents the best of our societies.”

From the US, the Prime Minister will travel to Egypt. “I will travel to Cairo from Washington D.C. at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. I am excited to pay a State Visit to a close and friendly country for the first time,” he said.

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“We had the pleasure of receiving President Sisi as the Chief Guest at our Republic Day celebrations this year. These two visits in the span of a few months is a reflection of our rapidly evolving partnership with Egypt, which was elevated to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ during President Sisi’s visit.”