Friendship: The US-India ties among the ‘most consequential’ in the world, says POTUS
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Taking stock two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first State Visit concluded, US President Joe Biden hailed relations with India, saying the friendship between the two democracies is among the “most consequential in the world.”
Taking to Twitter on Sunday, he said, “The friendship between the United States and India is among the most consequential in the world. And it’s stronger, closer, and more dynamic than ever.”
Responding to President Biden’s tweet, PM Modi said the friendship between India and the US is a force for global good.
“I fully agree with you, @POTUS @JoeBiden. The friendship between our countries is a force of global good. It will make the planet better and more sustainable,” PM Modi tweeted. “The ground covered in my recent visit will strengthen our bond even more,” he added.
Leading media outlets also hailed PM Modi and India after the successful State Visit.
According to CNN, PM Modi, and India, represent a lynchpin in President Biden’s strategy in Asia. India recently surpassed China to become the most populous country on Earth. No major global challenge, from climate change to advances in technology, can be addressed without India’s buy-in, in Biden’s view, it said.
Amid growing tensions between the US, and China, there are few partners that Biden is more eager to cultivate.
American officials said this was the rationale behind inviting PM Modi for a State Visit, only the third of Biden’s presidency so far.
PM Modi was on Thursday last welcomed to the White House with the highest trappings of American friendship: Marching troops on the South Lawn, extensive Oval Office talks, and a state dinner in the evening, complete with a chef who specializes in plant-based cuisine to accommodate his vegetarian diet.
During an elaborate welcome ceremony, hailing the friendship between the US and India, President Biden said: “I’ve long believed the relationship between the United States and India … will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century.”
As he welcomed PM Modi to the White House earlier on Thursday, he sought to underscore the importance of shared values in the relationship moving forward, the media reported.
“As democracies, we can better tap into the full talent of all of our people, and attract investments as true and trusted partners as leading nations, with our greatest export being the power of our example,” he said from a podium on the South Lawn.
“Equity under the law, freedom of expression, religious pluralism, and the diversity of our people. These core principles have endured and evolved even as they have faced challenges throughout each of our nation’s histories and fuel our strength, depth, and future,” he said.
The meetings on Thursday produced agreements on technology and defense cooperation and highlighted President Biden’s efforts to shore up relationships in a region grappling with an increasingly aggressive China.
After concluding his four-day US visit, PM Modi went to Egypt on a two-day State Visit on Saturday.
On Sunday, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi conferred Egypt’s highest state honor on PM Modi in Cairo.
“The Order of the Nile” is the 13th State Honor that various countries have conferred on him since 2014 when he came to power in New Delhi.
In Egypt, PM Modi also visited the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Al-Hakim Mosque in Cairo and paid tributes at Heliopolis War Cemetery to the Indian soldiers who made supreme sacrifices during the First World War (1914-18).
He visited Egypt at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, which the latter extended in January 2023 when he graced India’s Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest.
