Modi to visit US on June 22, Biden to host state dinner

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a state visit to the US next month that will underscore the growing importance of the bilateral strategic ties and both sides will reflect on their vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Wednesday.

The MEA said Modi has been invited by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden and he will attend a state dinner on June 22.

It said the visit offers a "valuable opportunity" for the two countries to further deepen their comprehensive and forward-looking global strategic partnership.

Announcing the visit, the MEA, however, did not mention the duration of the trip.

People familiar with the preparation for the trip said exact details of the prime minister's schedule are being worked out, adding the visit is likely to start on June 21 and the duration could be of four days.

It will be Modi's first state visit to the US after Biden became President. The prime minister visited Washington in September 2021 to attend the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit. Modi had a bilateral meeting with Biden during that visit.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on an official state visit to the United States of America, which will include a state dinner on June 22 following an invitation from President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden," the MEA said in a statement.

It said the visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the US as the two nations collaborate across numerous sectors.

"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, defence, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections," it said.

The MEA said Modi and Biden will also explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in pluri-lateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20.

"They would reflect on their shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement," it said.

The White House said Modi's visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the US and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together.

"President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22," 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," it said.

"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," the White House added.

After becoming the Prime Minister in 2014, Modi has made more than half a dozen trips to the United States for bilateral and multilateral meetings with all the three American presidents, Obama, Donald Trump and now Biden, but this is for the first time he has been invited for an official state visit, a privilege accorded to America's close friends and allies.

He last visited Washington in September 2021 at the invitation of President Biden for a bilateral meeting and also attended the first in-person Quad Leaders Summit.

Modi will join Biden and his counterparts from Australia and Japan at a summit of the Quad leaders in Sydney on May 24 that is expected to focus on implications of the Ukraine conflict and the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific.

Before travelling to Australia, Modi is likely to visit the Japanese city of Hiroshima to attend the annual summit of the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies which is scheduled to take place from May 19 to 21.

President Biden will attend the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima as well as the Quad summit in Sydney.

"It is entirely good and proper that the world's two greatest democracies further cement their strategic, economic, and technology convergence in these turbulent geostrategic times. The state visit will remind the world that India and America still have so much more potential to capture in our bilateral relations, reflecting the energy and talent of our demographics and our systems, which serve to empower our free peoples," US-India Business Council president Atul Keshap said.