‘Opportunity to deepen partnerships’: US State dept on PM Modi's June visit

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States next month, Principal deputy spokesperson for the US Department of State Vedant Patel on Monday said that it will be an “opportunity to deepen partnerships” between the two countries. Patel also said that the State Department and its secretary Antony Blinken are “critically involved” in PM Modi's upcoming visit.

“Our partnership with India is one of our most consequential relations and we were close with India on a number of vital priorities. The state visit is an opportunity to deepen some of these partnerships,” Patel said.

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He added, “The state visit is an opportunity to deepen some of these partnerships, whether it has been ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific and ensuring that it is a region that is more connected, more prosperous, more secure and more resilient. Obviously, between India and the United States, there exists an opportunity to deepen trade issues, deepen security partnerships.”

Highlighting the two countries' global challenges, Patel said, “There's an opportunity to address some shared global challenges like global health and addressing the climate crisis. So, again, I'm not going to get ahead of the state visit, but we very much look forward to hosting the Indian government.”

Last week, the White House in a statement announced that US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host PM Modi for an official state visit on June 22. The statement released by the White House read, “President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, 2023.”

“The upcoming visit will affirm the deep and close partnership between the US and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together,” the statement added.

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Reportedly, PM Modi's visit is expected to focus on the newer areas of cooperation between the two countries - particularly emerging technologies, and supply chain diversification.

The last in-person meeting between PM Modi and Biden was held in Bali, Indonesia during the G20 Summit. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed close cooperation in future-oriented sectors such as critical and emerging technologies, advanced computing, and artificial intelligence.

(With inputs from ANI)