WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden rolled out the White House red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday as part of his effort to jump-start a stronger US-India relationship with a series of defence and trade agreements.
Biden treated Modi to a colourful White House South Lawn arrival ceremony before some 7,000 people in the morning, before the leaders gathered for Oval Office talks ahead of a glittering state dinner in the evening.
"The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the United States work and lead together, and we are," Biden said during the ceremony.
Washington wants India to be a strategic counterweight to China and sees India as a critical partnership, although some analysts and former officials question India's willingness to stand up collectively to Beijing over issues such as Taiwan. Washington has also been frustrated by India's close ties with Russia amid Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Modi is seeking to raise the influence that India, the world's most populous country at 1.4 billion, has on the world stage in the wake of strained ties with neighbouring China.
"This grand welcome ceremony at the White House today is an honour and pride for the 1.4 billion people of India," Modi said, speaking mostly in Hindi. "This is also an honour for more than 4 million people of Indian origin living in the US. For this honour, I express my heartfelt gratitude."
Both leaders noted that their country's constitution started with the same three words, "We, the people."
The festival-like opening ceremony featured violinist Vibha Janakiraman and a cappella group Penn Masala performing renditions of songs by the American group Maroon 5 as well as from movies featuring Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
Biden said in the Oval Office before their private conversation that the two countries' relationship needed to be "one grounded on democracy, human rights, freedom and rule of law".
Modi, reading from prepared remarks, said all eyes were on the world's two largest democracies.
Biden administration officials say sweeping agreements to be announced on semiconductors, critical minerals, technology, space cooperation and defence cooperation and sales will ring in a new era in relations between the two countries. - Reuters
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