Modi overseas: the Indian PM to lead Yoga Day at the UN, visit the US and Egypt next week
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a busy schedule next week as he embarks upon his visit to the US (June 20 to 24), lead the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations (June 21), and pays a visit to Egypt thereafter (June 25-26) while returning home.
On June 21, PM Modi will lead the International Day of Yoga celebrations at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday this will be Modi’s eighth visit to the US after he became the PM in 2014, and the second since US President Joe Biden took office in January 2021.
PM Modi’s first State Visit comes at the invitation of President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, and will commence in New York, the MEA said.
The UN General Assembly, in December 2014, adopted a resolution proclaiming June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. The India-proposed draft resolution was endorsed by a record 175 UN member states.
PM Modi will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet President Biden to continue their high-level dialogue, the MEA release said.
The US President and First Lady will host a state dinner in honor of the PM on June 22 evening. That day, PM Modi will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress at the invitation of Congressional leaders, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy, and the Speaker of the Senate, Charles Schumer.
The next day, Modi will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Apart from the official engagements, he is scheduled to have several curated interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders, and will also meet members of the Indian Diaspora.
On June 25, PM Modi will arrive in Egypt for his first state visit of two days to the North African Arab nation. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi had invited PM Modi in January 2023 when he was the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi.
They had also agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a ‘strategic partnership.’
PM Modi is likely to interact with senior dignitaries from the Egyptian Government, some prominent Egyptian personalities, as well as the Indian community in Egypt, the MEA said.
India’s total trade with Egypt stood at USD 6.06 billion in 2022-2023, down from USD 7.2 billion in the year before. Exports from India (USD 4.1 billion) are primarily led by refined petroleum, which has seen an uptick in FY23, alongside organic chemicals, heavy machinery, iron and steel, and cotton.
