Modi Invited to Address Joint Session of US Congress
NEW DELHI, June 2: In one of the highest honours the United States accord to a foreign dignitary, the US Congress has invited the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint meeting of the House of Representatives and Senate on June 22, the leaders of the U.S. Congress said on Friday.
Modi had previously addressed the joint session of the U.S. Congress in 2016. “During your address, you will have the opportunity to share your vision for India’s future and speak to the global challenges our countries both face,” House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a letter to Modi.
They said the address would celebrate the enduring friendship between the United States and India. Modi is set to visit Washington DC on a state visit later this month. The visit has been in the works for months, with Indian officials working out the logistics for Modi’s first state visit during the Biden administration.
“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 announcement had said, adding that the visit will “affirm the deep and close partnership” between the two countries and their people to people ties.
(Manas Dasgupta)
