Modi seeks closer defence ties during US visit

Kathmandu: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to the United States on Tuesday to meet with US President Joe Biden.

During the visit, which has been hailed by New Delhi as a ‘historic’ chance to ‘expand and consolidate’ ties, Modi will address US Congress.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, while briefing on the US 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.

Prime Minister Modi on Tuesday said his visit to the US will be an opportunity to enrich the depth and diversity of the Indo-US partnership and asserted that together the two countries stand stronger in meeting shared global challenges.

In his departure statement ahead of his visit to the US and Egypt, Modi said he is travelling to the US on a State Visit at the invitation of President Joseph Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, and this ‘special invitation’ is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between the democracies.

Modi said his discussions with President 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).

Modi has visited the US six times since 2014. He will travel to Cairo from Washington DC at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.