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At least three meetings with US President Joe Biden in three days, including a private engagement and a State dinner, a lunch jointly hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a reception hosted by US Congressional leaders — the US establishment is preparing to lay the red carpet as it welcomes Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his first State visit to the country in nine years in office.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, while briefing on the forthcoming State visit by the Prime Minister, described it as a “milestone” in the relationship between India and the US. “It is a milestone in our relationship. It is a very significant visit, a very important visit, a visit on which there is a genuine, widespread and deep interest in the US,” he said.
Modi has visited the US six times since 2014.
During the visit, the two sides are working on a roadmap for cooperation between defence industries to partner closely in co-production, co-development and maintaining supply change.
The two sides will focus on strengthening trade and investment relations, and deeper ties in the technology domain comprising telecom, space and manufacturing.
Foreign Secretary Kwatra said the Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap was expected to be one of the key outcomes of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US.
“It essentially focuses on all aspects of defence co-production and co-development. It also talks about how defence industrial ecosystems of the two countries could cooperate much better, how the supply lines in the field of defence industry could also interface with each other much better,” he said.
Kwatra described defence cooperation as a “key pillar” of India’s relationship with the US.
Modi, who left for the US Tuesday, will begin from New York, where he will lead the International Yoga Day celebrations at the United Nations headquarters and meet prominent personalities and thought-leaders on June 21.
He will travel to Washington DC the same day and join President Biden and first lady Jill Biden for a private engagement.
On June 22, the Prime Minister will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the White House, which will be followed by a formal bilateral meeting with Biden.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will also host a state dinner in honour of Modi Thursday evening.
On Friday, the Prime Minister will interact with select Chief Executive Officers of leading companies. Later, US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will host a state luncheon.
Prime Minister Modi will also address Indian-American community leaders at the Reagan Centre, and will meet members from think tanks, young entrepreneurs, businesspersons at the Kennedy centre. Kwatra called the Indian diaspora as the “strongest anchors” of the relationship.
Kwatra said that they are “determined” and “targeted” to move to new domains in the relationship. The area of critical and emerging technologies will be one of the areas of priority in the discussions. Modi and Biden are also expected to discuss issues of mutual concern and interest in the region as well as global — Russia-Ukraine war, situation in the Indo-Pacific region, terrorism threats and China’s belligerence among others.
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