Anurag Kumar
Thursday at NEW DELHI, US ambassador Eric Garcetti met with external affairs minister S Jaishankar to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues, a month before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States.
“Discussed the tremendous progress made in our relationship over the past decade. “Exchanged views on the recent Quad Summit,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting, referring to last week’s convening of the four Quad leaders on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima.
“Convinced that India-U.S. relations will continue to strengthen,” Jaishankar added.
There was no official report on the meeting from the Indian side. In preparation for Modi’s state visit on June 22, Indian and American officials have been holding a series of meetings focusing on key areas such as trade, investment, defence, and security.
Garcetti stated in a tweet that he is committed to strengthening the relationship between the United States and India.
“As the United States’ ambassador to India, I am ecstatic to be here and witness the strong ties between our countries. The partnership between the United States and India has enormous potential, and I am committed to further strengthening our connections,” he said.
Jaishankar also conferred with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the G7 Summit to discuss Modi’s visit to the United States. Blinken tweeted at the time that he had a “great discussion” with Jaishankar, and added, “We look forward to hosting Indian Prime Minister @NarendraModi in June, whose visit will celebrate the deep partnership between the United States and India.”
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Modi has traveled to the United States to meet with former presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, but these trips were not state visits. In addition, this will mark the first state visit by an Indian premier since 2009.
A state visit is the highest-ranking invitation a US president can extend to a foreign head of state. A state visit includes a meeting with the president, a state banquet at the White House, an arrival and departure ceremony with full honors on the south grounds of the White House, and a 21-gun salute.
After French President Emmanuel Macron in 2022 and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in April of this year, Modi is only the third foreign leader invited by Biden for a state visit.
