Indian-Americans are ecstatic and upbeat about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first state visit to the US and his address to the joint session of Congress later this month and they feel that it is going to be an immense opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations in areas including security cooperation, defence, trade, energy, technology and space.
During his visit from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend several events which include meetings with prominent business leaders and several community events.
Many have already booked their tickets to fly to Washington, DC, to witness the historic state visit. Over 5,000 invited prominent community members from across the US will gather at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington to witness a ceremonial welcome, gun salute and address by both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi.
This “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity granted to the country’s closest allies alone makes the community feel proud,” Gitesh Desai, a prominent Indian-American leader and president of Sewa International Houston Chapter, said.
“The invitation to address the US Congress serves as a reminder of the historic significance of the relationship between the US and India, reflecting the shared dream and commitment to global peace and prosperity, especially in the Indo-Pacific region,” Desai said
“For realising sustainable progress and prosperity there are three areas of importance for cooperation and collaboration between two countries – energy, environment, and education. Energy being at the top, as India heavily depends on energy imports,” Desai said.
While Modi has visited the US during the terms of three US Presidents in his nine-year tenure, this is the first time he has been invited to a state dinner and the second time to address a joint session of Congress.