PM Modi Arrives In New York For US State Visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New York on Tuesday for his first state visit to the United States. 

Modi is on the state visit of the United States from June 21 to 24. In the first leg, he will lead International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York on June 21. After the Yoga Day celebrations, he will leave for Washington DC. 

Visuals from New York show Modi exiting the plane and being greeted by officials present there to receive him.

Besides the ceremonial reception and a grand state dinner at the White House, Modi's visit is also expected to produce an agreements on the sale of armed drones and co-production of jet engines along with the further deepening of defence and technological cooperation between the two countries. 

After his meetings with President Joe Biden and state dinner on the evening of the June 22, Modi will also take part in a diaspora event and hold a meeting with top US business leaders and experts in various fields.

Citing sources, NDTV reported that these people will include astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, economist Paul Romer, statistician Nicholas Nassim Taleb, SpaceX-Tesla-Twitter boss Elon Musk, investor Ray Dalio, Indian-American singer Falu Shah, author and researcher Jeff Smith, former US trade representative Michael Froman, diplomat Daniel Russel, defence expert Elbridge Colby, physician and Nobel laureate Dr Peter Agre, healthcare expert Dr Stephen Klasko, and Indian-American businesswoman and artist Chandrika Tandon.

Modi will also address a joint-meeting of US Congress on June 22. He will become the first Prime Minister of India to address US Congress twice. His first addressed was in 2016.

In his departure statement, Modi said this "special invitation" from Biden and the First Lady for a state visit is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between the democracies.

Modi noted that Biden and he have had the opportunity to meet several times since his last official visit to the US in September 2021. 

"This visit will be an opportunity to enrich the depth and diversity of our partnership," Modi said.

Modi said his discussions with Biden and other senior US leaders will provide an opportunity to consolidate bilateral cooperation as well as in plurilateral forums such as G20, Quad and IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity). He said he will also join President Biden and the First Lady for the state banquet along with a number of dignitaries.

Noting that the US Congress has always provided strong bipartisan support to India-US ties, Modi said that during his visit, he will address a joint session of the US Congress at the invitation of the Congressional leadership.

He 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. 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."

(With PTI inputs)