NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to embark on a state visit to the United States in the middle of this year as he has ‘received’ an invitation from US President Joe Biden. The official visit may happen in June or July, a source said.
“With his busy programme plan this year, due to scheduled visits of leaders like Australian President Anthony Albanese in March, the SCO and G20 summits and others – including for Quad to Australia and G7 to Japan, PM Modi may just about manage a few days in either June or July, as President Biden is keen on his visiting the US,’’ a source said.
The Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has said that high level visits are announced closer to the date and time. It has been reported that the state visit will include an address to the joint session of the US Congress and a state dinner at the White House.
In light of the India-US partnership which is not just relevant for bilateral trade, but also for partnership in the Indo-Pacific, Quad and other platforms, this visit will be significant. Modi is expected to meet Biden for the Quad Summit in Australia, for the G20 Summit in New Delhi and for the G7 Summit in Japan this year.
Meanwhile, India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his American counterpart Jake Sullivan launched the India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies or iCET, described by officials as the “Next Big Thing” in the bilateral relationship. Commenting on this meeting, the top US administrative official said, “While geopolitics is one dimension of what’s happening here, this is sort of more significant, bigger than that.”