US President Joe Biden has invited the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as state guest on 22 June as Washington pulls out all the stops to strengthen trade and security ties with the world’s largest democracy.
Modi will be the third world leader invited for a state visit during Biden’s tenure, following French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022 and the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in April.
Modi’s Hindu nationalist government said it was attaching utmost importance to the two-day trip, which will be his maiden state visit to the US since coming to power in 2014.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States on June 22, 2023, for an Official State Visit reaffirming the strong #USIndia partnership. The visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared…
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) May 10, 2023
His previous trips to meet Barack Obama and Donald Trump were not classified as state visits to the US, which denied him a visa in 2005 for not doing enough to stem anti-Moslem riots three years earlier in Gujarat when he was chief minister of the Indian state.
Sweet spot
“It is a very important development,” said Satish Chandra, a former deputy national security advisor.
“The India/US relationship is at a happy spot and this visit will only increase the depth of the relationship,” the high-ranking diplomat told RFI.
The foreign ministry in Delhi said preparations were on for the ceremonial trip. "It will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the US.”
Biden and Modi may also bump into each other four times between 19 May and 20 June when they travel separately to Australia, Japan and Papua New Guinea.
“The leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry, education, research, clean energy, defence, security, healthcare, and deepening people-to-people connections,” Delhi said.
The US emerged as India's biggest trading partner at 118 billion euros in the financial year ending 31 March, pushing China to the second spot.
#WATCH | US & India have a strong bilateral relationship & that's including trade as well- trade relationship. We're committed to continuing working together and in groups like the Quad to advance economic growth for our two countries & expand cooperation of our shared… pic.twitter.com/FzqHL5xhcm
— ANI (@ANI) April 19, 2023
American military trade with India rose from near zero in 2008 to more than 18 billion euros in 2020, according to the US Department of State.
Officials said Modi will kick off his trip attending the International Yoga Day event on 21 June outside the UN headquarters in New York.
He will then dash off to Washington for a 21-gun salute at the White House followed by a state dinner hosted by Biden and the US First Lady.
Russian frost
But some analysts believed India’s refusal to criticise Russia for waging war on Ukraine and importing steeply-discounted oil from Moscow ignoring US sanctions could weigh on the talks.
But others such as Chandra argued the issue may not cloud the talks since Washington was sympathetic to energy-deficient India’s desperate oil needs.
“Now the understanding is very clear in the US that they need India more than India needs them and that they are benefitting enormously from this relationship,” Chandra said.
“They do recognise India has a very old relationship with Russia and it is important for India to have this relationship.”
India – the world’s largest arms importer – has bought nearly half of its military hardware from Russia.
“Modi also tried very hard to mend ties with China but China has its own agenda and they will not change and neither will Pakistan,” added Chandra, a former Indian ambassador in Islamabad.
India has fought three wars with Pakistan and one with China since its 1947 independence.
Delhi and Washington hope the bilateral summit may also tone up Quad – a security grouping set up in 2007 by Australia, India, Japan and the United States to keep China’s rising influence in check.
“They would discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement,” the government in Delhi said without naming China as a threat.
Opinion: As the US’ ill-intentioned #chip war against China escalates, Washington is trying to rope more countries into its clique, with #India being one of US’ key targets. In face of this pressure, Indian politicians should maintain strategic sobriety. https://t.co/w3BVg2yVyq pic.twitter.com/j9uAda4pZ4
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) May 11, 2023
Indian households keenly await the outcome of Modi’s trip to the US, which is on track to issue more than one million visas to Indians.
The number of Indian students in the US rose 19 percent in the past fiscal year with the South Asian nation overtaking China to become the top recipient of US student visas.
“They are as solid bed partners as one can possibly get,” a Delhi-based Western diplomat said.
