PM Modi only third Indian State guest at US; know the others

Washington [US], June 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on his maiden State visit to the US, is only the third Indian leader after former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to have this privilege.

A 'state visit' holds a special significance as compared to other foreign visits, as this is a formal visit by the head of state to a foreign country at the invitation of the head of state hosting him.

The visit signifies the highest expression of friendly bilateral ties between two sovereign nations. Also, during a State visit, the leader extending the invitation acts as the official host of the visiting head of state through the course of the trip.

Before PM Modi, former President Radhakrishnan in June 1963 and former PM Manmohan Singh in November 2009 were received as State guests by the US.

While a total of 9 Indian PMs made US visits during their tenures, not all were State visits.

The country's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, visited the US four times while Manmohan Singh made 8 visits to the country.

Two-time former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was accorded the country's highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, also undertook 4 visits to the US. Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi trail closely at 3 visits each to the US as PM, with PV Narasimha Rao with 2 and Morarji Desai and IK Gujral with 1 visit each.

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

PM Modi first visited the US in 2014, on a working visit. This visit was significant as he also delivered his maiden 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.

In the same year, PM Modi embarked on another visit to the US. During this visit, he 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'. During this visit, Prime Minister Modi also addressed the Indian diaspora at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner, Virginia.

His visit in 2019 was one of his most significant, as he addressed the Indian-American community in Houston at an event named 'Howdy Modi!' The event was attended by 50,000 people and also addressed by then-President Donald Trump, who later held bilateral talks with PM Modi.

While POTUS (code name for the US president) is hosting his third State guest, it is the largest so far, considering the sheer numbers on the South Lawns of the White House to welcome PM Modi on Thursday.

Earlier, on Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi was hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for an intimate dinner at the White House.

He will hosted at a State dinner at the White House later on Thursday. Over 400 guests are expected to attend the State dinner in PM Modi's honour.

The dinner is the third of its kind by the Biden administration. The Bidens had previously hosted French President Emmanuel Macron in December, last year and South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol in April, this year.

PM Modi is also scheduled to address the joint session of the US Congress for the second time, later on Thursday. He will be only the second world leader after Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be accorded the privilege of addressing a joint House more than once.

Earlier, on Wednesday, PM Modi led a special Yoga session on the lawns of the UN headquarters in New York City to mark the 9th edition of International Yoga Day.

The session entered the Guinness Book of World Records for drawing most nationalities performing Yoga together.

In addition to official engagements, Prime Minister Modi, during his visit, is also scheduled to interact with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian diaspora.

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