US President Joe Biden received Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an informal dinner at the White House today as part of a state visit.
Together with First Lady Jill Biden, Joe Biden also wants to do a tour of the US seat of government with Modi. The official talks between the two heads of government at government headquarters in Washington were to follow today, as should a celebratory state banquet. Modi is in the US for several days as a guest of state and is also scheduled to address both chambers of the US Congress.
Unlike regular working visits, state visits are accompanied by special formal pomp, such as a state banquet. Modi is only the third foreign guest to receive this honor during Biden’s tenure. French President Emmanuel Macron made a state visit to the United States last December. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol followed at the end of April.
Topics of the visit include cooperation for the security of the Indo-Pacific region and cooperation in the areas of defence, technology, energy and space. The foreign policy of the Biden administration has a large focus on Asia and the Indo-Pacific. The USA is trying to counter China’s striving for power in the region. With around 1.4 billion people, India is the most populous country in the world and therefore also the largest democracy in the world.
