PM Narendra Modi invites President Barack Obama to Republic Day parade

This will be first time any US President would be the Chief Guest on the Republic Day.

Modi with Obama at the White House. (Source: AP photo)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US president Barack Obama at the White House during his visit to US in October 2014. (Source: AP photo)

US President Barack Obama will be the chief guest at the Republic Day parade on January 26, becoming the first US President to grace the occasion.

Explained: Why the invite marks a watershed in India-US ties

Signalling a new chapter in Indo-US ties after his meetings with Obama in Washington, on the sidelines of the East Asia summit in Myanmar and at the G-20 summit in Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he had invited Obama. He tweeted: “This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over… invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest.”

This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over…invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) November 21, 2014

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In response, the US National Security Council tweeted “President Obama will travel to India in Jan 2015 to participate in Indian Republic Day celebration as Chief Guest. President Obama will meet w/@narendramodi and Indian officials to strengthen and expand the U.S.-#India strategic partnership. Visit will mark 1st time US president will have honor of attending Republic Day, which commemorates adoption of India’s constitution #India.”

India accords special significance to the choice of chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations. New Delhi intermeshes strategy with hospitality to decide its chief guest. The choice every year is dictated by a number of reasons — strategic and diplomatic, business interest and international geo-politics.

cheif-Guests

Meeting on the sidelines of the East Asia summit in Myanmar capital Nay Pyi Taw, Obama called Modi, a “man of action”. And then came the announcement of an Indo-US agreement on the WTO.

@ invite of @narendramodi President Obama will travel to #India in Jan 2015 to participate in Indian Republic Day celebration as Chief Guest

— Obama NSC- Archived (@NSC44) November 21, 2014

Obama last visited India in November 2010 when he had come to Mumbai and New Delhi on a State visit.
The choice of the US President is indicative of the push which the Modi government wants to give to India-US relationship at the beginning of his five-year term.

@ invite of @narendramodi President Obama will travel to #India in Jan 2015 to participate in Indian Republic Day celebration as Chief Guest

— Obama NSC- Archived (@NSC44) November 21, 2014

President Obama will meet w/ @narendramodi and Indian officials to strengthen and expand the U.S.-#India strategic partnership

— Obama NSC- Archived (@NSC44) November 21, 2014

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