President Joe Biden courted the world’s most populous country with a pompous reception of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a US guest of state. In a bilateral meeting between the two on Thursday, according to the US side, several economic and military agreements should be decided, including the sale of American drones to India.
The Biden administration is aggressively trying to link India more closely as a major player in the Indo-Pacific and on the international stage. However, several politicians in the US Congress have expressed concern about the human rights situation in India.
Biden said he was “convinced that the US-India relationship will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century.” It is about “two great nations, two great friends, two great powers” who can determine the course of the century. “The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require India and the United States to work together and take the lead together.”
Several members of the US cabinet attended Modi’s formal welcoming ceremony, including Vice President Kamala Harris, whose mother is Indian. Thousands of Americans of Indian descent were also invited. In addition to talks between Biden and Modi and a press appearance by the two, a speech by the Indian Prime Minister to both chambers of the US Congress is also planned, as well as a festive state banquet at the White House in the evening.
Unlike regular business visits, state visits are accompanied by special formal pomp, like a state banquet. Modi is only the third foreign guest to receive this honor during Biden’s term. French President Emmanuel Macron paid a state visit to the United States last December. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol followed in late April.
According to US intelligence, the two heads of government wanted to seal several new partnerships during the visit, including the sale of MQ-9B armed drones from the US to New Delhi, US investments in semiconductor production in India and new cooperation on travel. space and technology sectors.
India has overtaken China as the most populous country. With about 1.4 billion people, it is also the largest democracy in the world and has growing political and economic influence, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The Biden administration is trying to counter China’s quest for power in the region and has therefore significantly promoted partnerships with other countries in the region, including the so-called quadruple alliance with India, Japan and Australia.
The fact that Biden rolled out the red carpet for the Indian prime minister in this way was also the subject of criticism. Modi, of the Hindu nationalist BJP, has been the country’s prime minister since 2014. During his tenure, India dropped several places in the ranking of democracy and freedom of the press. Critics complain that religious minorities are discriminated against in the predominantly Hindu country.
Prior to Modi’s visit, more than 70 US politicians from the House of Representatives and Senate expressed concern about the human rights situation in India and wrote an open letter asking Biden to address these issues at the meeting. They warned that there were worrying signs that political rights and freedom of expression were being curtailed in India, that religious intolerance towards minorities was on the rise and freedom of the press was suffering. The White House said ahead of time that the president would not shy away from these tough questions. Individual lawmakers also wanted to boycott Modi’s speech in Congress because of these concerns.
Biden said of Modi’s welcome: “Equality before the law, freedom of expression, religious pluralism, diversity of our peoples – these fundamental principles have endured and evolved – despite the challenges in our nations’ history.” Modi, for his part, said the two countries were “proud of their diversity”.
Another not so easy issue between the two countries is the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. So far, India has taken a neutral stance on this and does not support Western sanctions. The country maintains good relations both with Western countries and with Russia, on which much of its military equipment depends. During the war, India also started to buy more oil from Russia. The US, on the other hand, is Ukraine’s closest ally in the conflict and is at the forefront of the international alliance against Russia.