NEW DELHI, Sept 20: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the United States President Joe Biden to be the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26, 2024. The invitation was given during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, the US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday.
Asked whether the Quad summit is being planned in India around the same time, Mr Garcetti indicated that he was not aware of it. The Quad comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia. It is India’s turn to host the annual Quad summit next year.
The US ambassador was asked at an event about the reports that India was considering inviting leaders of the Quad nations to grace the Republic Day celebrations.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day celebrations. Every year, India invites world leaders to attend its Republic Day celebrations. There was no Republic Day Chief guest in 2021 and 2022 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest. In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest at the parade, while in 2018, leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries attended the celebrations.
In 2017, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the chief guest at celebrations, while the then French President Francois Hollande graced the occasion in 2016. In 2015, the then US President Barack Obama watched the parade.
In 2014, the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at the celebrations, while Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck attended the parade in 2013. Other heads of state and government who have attended the Republic Day celebrations include Nicolas Sarkozy, Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, John Major, Mohammed Khatami and Jacques Chirac.
The then British Prime Minister John Major had attended the celebrations in 1993, Nelson Mandela participated as then South African President in 1995 while South Korean President Lee Myung Bak witnessed the parade in 2010.
(Manas Dasgupta)