From Arrival To State Dinner And Diaspora Event, Here Is PM Modi's US State Visit's Full Schedule

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in the United States this week for his first state visit. The US state visit is a rare and coveted honour for the country's closest allies and partners.

Modi's US state visit comes at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. While he has been to the United States several times on official visits and to participate in multilateral engagements, this is his first state visit to the country.

The state visit will commence on June 21 and will conclude on June 24. The state visit will include official and diplomatic meetings, the state dinner, and engagements with the diaspora and business community.

Here is the full schedule of Modi's state visit to the United States from his arrival to departure.

PM Modi to arrive in New York on June 21

PM Modi's state visit to the United States will commence on June 21 with his arrival in New York.

In New York, Modi will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters. He will be joined there by several high-profile individuals.

"On June 21, several top Indian-Americans will join PM Modi on the north lawns of the UN complex in New York, where he will lead the International Yoga Day event," notes The Economic Times (ET).

African-American actor and singer Mary Millben will also join the celebrations. She would also join the later diaspora event.

From New York, Modi will travel to Washington DC.

PM Modi's reception at White House

PM Modi will be formally received by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House on June 22.

Biden is expected to be joined by top Cabinet and Congressional members at the reception.

Explaining the reception, historian Mathew Costello earlier told PTI, "The day of (the state visit), there will be a state arrival ceremony at the White House, typically on the South Lawn. The President and the visiting Head of State will exchange remarks.

"They'll listen to the national anthems of the respective countries, review their troops, and then they'll go into the White House for conversation, and diplomatic exchanges later that night, there is a state dinner held in their honour, and then they spend the night there as the overnight guest of the President, the First Lady at Blair House, the president's official guest house."

As Modi would arrive at the White House, thousands of Indian-Americans are expected to be there to welcome him.

"On June 22, more than 7,000 Indian-Americans are planning to gather at the south lawns of the White House when President Biden and the First Lady will welcome the PM," says ET.

Modi will also hold a meeting with Biden at the White House after the reception, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Later that day, Modi will address a joint-session of US Congress.

PM Modi's address to US Congress

On June 22, PM Modi will address a joint-session of US Congress.

The US Congress is the American parliament comprising two chambers of Senate and House of Representatives.

With his address to Congress, Modi will become the only Prime Minister of India to address US Congress twice. He earlier addressed Congress in 2016.

Modi will address Congress at the bipartisan invitation of Congressional leaders. The invitation was signed by all four Congressional leaders: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Democratic minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell.

As Congress is an independent branch of US government with unique set of powers independent from those the president, the address to Congress at bipartisan invitation signifies the importance and acceptance of India in Washington DC.

Later that day, Modi will attend the state dinner at the White House.

State dinner at White House

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a state dinner in honour of PM Modi on the evening on June 22.

The state dinner is the highlight of the state visit.

"A state dinner, always the social high point of a state visit, is planned meticulously, often months in advance. The menu typically features food and wines that reflect the culinary traditions of the guests of honor, but with an American twist. It represents the friendship between the nations of the hosts and the honored guests," says the Bureau of Global Public Affairs (BGPA) of the US Department of State.

While many people just think of state visits and glamourous state dinners as merely a fancy affair, these events serve as an acknowledgement to the host's respect for the country of the visiting leader, said historian Matthew Costello, Vice President and Interim Director of the David M Rubenstein National Center for White House History.

Instead of the designated hall in the White House, state dinners are now increasingly held in the lawns of the White House to include more people and make them grander.

Explaining the evolution, Costello told PTI, "What we've seen, I would say in the last 20 years or so, is this shift away from doing the more traditional state dinners inside the White House, to now we're seeing more of the White House grounds being used as the outdoor venue for state dinners...President Trump had one of his state dinners in the Rose Garden. And the Bidens have done this as well, putting up a tent on the South lawn so that you can invite 300 to 400 people to be part of a State Dinner."

The invitation to such state dinners is also a coveted thing and The Times of India reported that the invitation is currently the "hottest ticket in America, with the rich, powerful, and famous badgering the White House for an invitation".

"White House officials acknowledge they are deluged with requests, as is the Indian Embassy, which is directing all inquiries to the White House since it is the host," reported ToI further, adding that the final guest list will be revealed only on the eve of the state dinner.

PM Modi's engagement with diaspora, business leaders

On June 23, PM Modi will engage with the Indian-American community and the business community in the United States.

The diaspora event will be held at Ronald Reagan Centre in Washington DC.

"Those attending the event will include Indian-origin doctors, hoteliers, lawyers and businessmen, said the people. The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center has hosted several high-profile meetings in the past," reported ET.

The diaspora event is being hosted by the US India Community Foundation and a national organising committee of 25 eminent people has been constituted to organise the event, according to ET.

African-American actor and singer Mary Millben will also perform at the diaspora event. She has the distinction of performing for the last three US presidents: Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and George W Bush.

The day's second event will be with the business community. It will be a meeting with key CEOs at the rooftop off the Kennedy Center to be hosted by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), as per ToI.

Modi will also be hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on June 23 for luncheon.

Modi will depart from the United States on June 24 and travel to Egypt's Cairo where he would be on a state visit on June 24-25.