US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council Jack Kirby on Monday (local time) said that the US is eagerly awaiting for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit and said it will solidify “the defining relationship of the 21st century”.
“We are here almost literally, on the eve of what we believe will be a historic state visit by Prime Minister Modi, one that will further solidify what President Biden has called the defining relationship of the 21st century,” Blinken said.
Blinken also pointed out that he witnessed India’s “constructive” leadership towards building a free, open, secure, prosperous Indo-Pacific where people, goods, and ideas can travel freely and rules are applied fairly and its commitment to promoting health security, working with other members of the Quad.
“We see the importance of the partnership in a shared commitment to address regional and global challenges promoting health security, working with our Quad partners to build a free, open, secure, prosperous Indo-Pacific where people, goods, and ideas can travel freely and rules are applied fairly. I have witnessed India’s constructive leadership on these issues up close these last two and a half years, and I see it in their ambitious agenda at this year’s G20,” Blinken further added.
Meanwhile, Kirby said that the White House is looking forward to hosting the Prime Minister. “We are very much looking forward to having Prime Minister Modi here. As you know, the United States has a significant defence partnership with India and terrific cooperation inside the Quad, across the Indo-Pacific with India. There’s a lot to talk about. We’re looking forward to the visit,” Kirby said.
Blinken also took a moment to remember the victims of the Balasore train accident which took the lives of over 280 people and injured countless others. “I again express our deepest condolences on behalf of the United States of America to the victims of the terrible train crash in Odisha. I had the opportunity to speak with my friend Dr. S Jaishankar shortly after the accident, and just to convey to him how much it had resonated here in the United States as we saw the images, and to let him know that we stand with the people of India as they recover from this human tragedy,” Blinken said.
Indian envoy to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, also said there is great “excitement” regarding PM Modi’s visit on “both sides” and remarked that it is a matter of great pride that PM Modi will become the “only Indian leader to address the US Congress twice”.
“We are a week away from the historic state visit of Prime Minister Modi to the United States at the invitation of President Biden. There is great excitement on both sides. My PM is only the third Indian leader in our independent history to be accorded the honour of a State visit by the US President. He also will become the only Indian leader to address the US Congress twice,” Sandhu said.
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