India-US relationship reaching next level: Ambassador Sandhu

Washington: The India-US relationship is now headed to the next level, India's top envoy here has said as he emphasised that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit here will have an impact not only on the two countries but also on other nations.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. They will host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. The visit also includes an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

“The relationship is now going at the next level and there are a number of aspects in this visit which are pointing towards that,” Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu told PTI on Friday.

Modi will arrive here on June 21 after attending the International Yoga Day in New York.

He will receive a ceremonial welcome at the White House on June 22, and meet US President Joe Biden to continue their high-level dialogue.

“It'll also provide an opportunity to both the leaders to be able to spend time together and discuss across the board a number of issues which are of mutual interest,” Sandhu said.

Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host a State Dinner in honour of the prime minister on the same evening.

At the invitation of Congressional leaders, the prime minister will address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on June 22.

“Now we are talking of actually real partnership in terms of core development, in terms of collaboration. You will see across the areas there is going to be much more cooperation and working together. This will have an impact not only for the United States and India but also for many third countries,” Sandhu said.

Vice President Kamala Harris, along with Secretary of State Tony Blinken, is hosting a luncheon for the prime minister on June 23.

“Prime Minister has visited the United States a number of times and each one has been a different kind of visit. There has always been some new aspect in each. But this one is an (Official) State Visit and it has its own special components,” he said.

Sandhu said the State Visit is the highest level of respect and regard that the US can give to India and its prime minister.

“That is the first significance of the State Visit. Then, the State Visit has its own components in this case, of course, the ceremonial and the substantive aspects both are very important and equally significant,” he said.

In 2016, Prime Minister Modi addressed the US Congress.

“It was a very successful visit to the US Congress. But of course, the world has changed...So, there is a lot of added interest in India and in people, especially Congressmen and Senators. It's visible in their statements. They are very excited to listen to the Prime Minister's vision of the US-India partnership and also his views on many other aspects,” Sandhu said.

“By speaking the second time, the prime minister will actually be joining a club of very few international statesmen like Nelson Mandela, Winston Churchill or the Israeli Prime Minister. Very few have come. But (from) the Indian side in the last 75 years, he will be the first leader to actually speak the second time to the US Congress," he said.

The US Congress provides a platform which is "very, very important and "very significant" and Prime Minister Modi will be able to give his message out to a much larger audience, he said.

There is also going to be a state dinner at the White House. The State dinners here are a special event and, in this case, the top cream of the United States from different areas will be participating, he said.

“So, the Prime Minister will get to interact with a number of people from different areas,” said the Indian ambassador.

The prime minister, during his stay here, will be meeting professionals, CEOs and a number of other successful Americans, including Indian Americans, Sandhu said.