"I am excited to meet the man," says Congressman Rich McCormick ahead of PM Modi's US Congress address

Washington DC [US], June 23 : US Congressman Rich McCormick on Thursday heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he was "excited to meet the man".

PM Modi is scheduled to address a joint sitting of the US Congress later today.

"I am really excited about just meeting the man. Once you determine who a person is, then you can really determine how the relationship is going to go," said Congressman Rich McCormick.

PM Modi is on his maiden state visit to the US, and is only the third Indian leader to be called for a state visit by the country.

Speaking about his address to the joint sitting of the US Congress, McCormick said, "I am excited just to see who he is. When you look somebody in the eye when you shake their hand and you see how authentic they are in person, when you start developing those relationships know what the future of our relationship is going to be like, who knows what my future is and his future is?"

PM Modi will address a joint session of the US Congress on June 22, becoming the first Indian prime minister to be accorded this honour twice his first address came in June 2016.

Prime Minister Modi is currently on his sixth visit and maiden state visit to the US.

Prime Minister Modi's first visit to the US took place in 2014, during which he had a working visit and delivered his inaugural speech at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He visited the US again in 2016, for the Nuclear Security Summit. During this visit, he also met then-US President Barack Obama at the White House and held bilateral talks. PM Modi also delivered his maiden address at the US Congress and spoke on a range of topics including terrorism, climate change and the strong Indo-US relationship.

In 2017, PM Modi went to the US on a three-day visit. He was hosted by the then President Donald Trump at the White House for a 'working dinner'.

PM Modi's US visit in 2019, was one of his most significant, as during this he addressed the Indian-American community in Houston at a famous event named 'Howdy Modi!'

The event attended by 50,000 people was also addressed by then-President Donald Trump, who later held bilateral talks with PM Modi.

PM Modi's fifth visit to the US was in 2021. This was his first visit after the Covid outbreak and also the first since President Biden assumed office.

Prime Minister Modi, on his first-ever state visit to the United States, received a ceremonial welcome upon his arrival at the White House.

Upon his arrival at the White House lawns, PM Modi who was dressed in a traditional white kurta pyjama teamed with a powder blue jacket was greeted by President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

A US delegation led by Vice President Kamala Harris, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin assembled to greet PM Modi.

The Indian delegation led by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Sandhu were also present.

As thousands of people gathered on the South Lawns of the White House, the national anthems of India and the US were played out, creating a vibrant atmosphere to welcome Prime Minister Modi.

Some people were waving a banner that read, "Indian American Diaspora welcomes Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi."

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