Biden, First Lady to host PM Modi at White House next month

WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit next month, according to a statement released by the White House. 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, linking Americans and Indians. "The visit will strengthen the two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space," the statement read.

"The leaders will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security," it added. US and India have a strategic alliance. In their last in-person meeting in Indonesia, Prime Minister Modi and President Biden took into account areas like crucial and emerging technologies and artificial intelligence.

In the meeting, both sides discussed close cooperation in future-oriented sectors such as critical and emerging technologies, advanced computing, and artificial intelligence, an official statement by Prime Minister's office read. The two leaders also exchanged dialogue on topical global and regional developments.

Earlier, PM Modi visited the United States on September 23, 2021. In 2022, on the sidelines of the QUAD Leaders Summit, PM Modi and President Biden announced the India-US initiative of critical and emerging technology, known as iCET.

During the iCET launch, a new Implementation Arrangement between the Department of Science and Technology of India and the National Science Foundation of the US was signed by the Ambassador and NSF Director in the presence of Doval and Sullivan.