WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden started their bilateral talks on Thursday at the White House.
PM Modi and President Biden are having a one-on-one meeting in the Oval Office of the White House before holding high-level talks to further boost the growing Indo-US strategic relations in areas like defence, space, clean energy and critical technologies.
Ahead of the bilateral talks, PM Modi said that he is confident that the discussions between the two leaders will further strengthen India-USA relations.
“Looking forward to today’s talks with @POTUS @JoeBiden. I am confident our discussions will further strengthen India-USA relations”.
He was responding to the tweet by President Biden who welcomed Prime Minister Modi ahead of his arrival at the White House.
“Welcome to the White House, Mr. Prime Minister,” Biden said in his tweet.
Looking forward to today’s talks with @POTUS @JoeBiden. I am confident our discussions will further strengthen India-USA relations. https://t.co/rdwxCyrRyu
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 22, 2023
Prime Minister Modi who is on his maiden state visit to the US, arrived at the White House in a ceremonial welcome.
“In the post-Covid era, the world order is taking a new shape. In this time period, the friendship between India and US will be instrumental in enhancing the strength of the whole world. India and US are committed to working together for the global good and peace, stability and prosperity, PM Modi said at the White House.
He added, “The societies and institutions of both India & US are based on democratic values. The constitutions of both countries begin with the three words “We The People”. Both countries take pride in their diversity and believe in the fundamental principle of ‘interest of all, welfare of all'”.
Upon his arrival at the White House lawns, PM Modi who was dressed in a traditional white kurta pyjama teamed with a powder blue jacket was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
A US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin assembled to greet PM Modi.
The Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu were also present.
National anthems of India and the US played out as thousands of people gathered on the White House South Lawns to greet PM Modi.
Huge crowds of people gathered at the South Lawns of the White House to welcome PM Modi. Visuals showed them waving Indian flags and chanting “Modi, Modi” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” slogans.
Some people were waving a banner that read: “Indian American Diaspora welcomes Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi”.
PM Modi on Wednesday arrived in Washington DC after overseeing a special Yoga session on the lawns of the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
United States President Joe Biden on Wednesday (local time) hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House before the high-profile state dinner.
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan also attended the dinner, which featured the President’s favourite foods- pasta and ice cream.
During the dinner, the trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House.
The leaders also exchanged gifts at the White House. PM Modi presented a special sandalwood box to US President Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He also gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond and ‘papier mache’ to US First Lady Jill Biden.
Joe Biden and Jill Biden presented PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. Biden also gifted a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman’s Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. Jill Biden gifted a signed, first-edition copy of “Collected Poems of Robert Frost” to PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi then thanked US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting him at the White House. PM Modi noted that they held “great conversation” on several subjects.
PM Modi will on Thursday be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at a state dinner. PM Modi will also address a joint sitting of the US Congress on Thursday.
On June 23, Prime Minister Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
In addition to official engagements, Prime Minister Modi is also scheduled to have several interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders.
He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora. (ANI)