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India’s Modi visits Greece, the first visit to the country by an Indian prime minister in 40 years

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi gestures after a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, shakes hands with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis after a meeting, at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, right, speaks after a meeting with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi prior to a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, sits during a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to the press after a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis, at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, talks with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis prior to a meeting, at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years.

In this photo provided by the Greek President’s office, Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, center right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands before their meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years. (Theodore Manolopoulos/Presidency of Hellenic Republic via AP)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi enters Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

In this photo provided by the Greek President’s office, Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, right, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi join a meeting at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years. (Theodore Manolopoulos/Presidency of Hellenic Republic via AP)

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, welcomes his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, left, welcomes, his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at Maximos Mansion in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens, Greece, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023. Modi’s visit to Athens is especially significant for Greek foreign policy as it is the first official visit by an Indian prime minister to Greece in 40 years. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)

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ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The prime ministers of India and Greece pledged to boost their countries’ trade, business and defense ties Friday during a visit to Athens by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Modi’s visit is the first to Greece by an Indian prime minister in 40 years since Indira Gandhi visited the country in September 1983.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said the two countries enjoyed relations stretching back to antiquity.

“Based on these strong foundations of our long-term relations, we have the great joy of upgrading our cooperation now to a strategic relationship,” Mitsotakis said in a joint televised statement distributed by Greece’s state broadcaster.

Reporters were not permitted to attend, and no questions were taken.

Modi said the two decided to reinforce bilateral relations in the defense and security sectors, as well as in infrastructure, agriculture, education and technology.

“In the sector of defense and security, we agreed to reinforce our military ties and our defense industries,” Modi said, according to a Greek translation of his comments.

The two countries will also aim to double bilateral trade by 2030, Modi said. Commercial trade between India and Greece stood at 1.32 billion euros in 2022, Mitsotakis said in an article for the Times of India released by his office Friday.

Modi said the two countries signed an agreement Friday regarding agricultural production that will also allow for cooperation in research, animal rearing and animal products.

India and Greece also want to facilitate skilled migration, “so we decided that an agreement will be signed soon on mobility and migration,” Modi said.

The two also discussed “the great importance” of establishing direct flights between Greece and India, Mitsotakis said, noting “great opportunities” in the sectors of tourism as well as economic cooperation in the pharmaceutical and technology sectors.

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PM’s Visits

Pm’s visit to bhutan (mar 22, 2024 - mar 23, 2024 ), pm’s visit to uae & qatar (feb 13, 2024 - feb 15, 2024 ), pm’s visit to dubai (nov 30, 2023 - dec 01, 2023 ), pm’s visit to indonesia (sep 06, 2023 - sep 07, 2023 ), pm’s visit to south africa & greece (aug 22, 2023 - aug 26, 2023 ), pm’s visit to france & uae (jul 13, 2023 - jul 15, 2023 ), pm’s visit to usa & egypt (jun 20, 2023 - jun 25, 2023 ), pm’s visit to japan, papua new guinea & australia (may 19, 2023 - may 25, 2023 ), pm’s visit to indonesia (nov 14, 2022 - nov 16, 2022 ), pm’s visit to japan (sep 27, 2022 - sep 27, 2022 ).

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Going Abroad, Modi Receives a Gift for Image-Building at Home

For an audience in India, the prime minister is linking his diplomatic reception abroad, and himself, to the country’s growing importance on the world stage.

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By Mujib Mashal

Reporting from New Delhi

His grip on the levers of national power secure, his hold on India’s domestic imagination cemented, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increasingly turned to advancing himself on a new horizon: the global stage.

With a packed diplomatic calendar that includes India’s hosting of the Group of 20 summit later this year, Mr. Modi is building an image going into his re-election campaign as a leader who can win respect and investment for his vast nation. The state visit accorded to Mr. Modi in Washington, which ends on Friday, is perhaps the biggest prize yet in that quest.

“It’s not just about a fairer bargain abroad,” said Ashok Malik, a former government adviser who is the India chair at the Asia Group, a consulting firm. “It’s also that ‘my investments in key foreign policy relations are actually helping to build the Indian economy and therefore create opportunities for Indians at home and strengthen India overall.’”

At home, Mr. Modi’s Hindu nationalist party has continued to sideline institutions that were once important checks on the government. It has persisted in its vilification of the country’s 200 million Muslims, even as Mr. Modi used an exceedingly rare news conference in Washington to claim that there was no discrimination against anyone in India.

But abroad, world leaders eager to court an ascendant India have offered little pushback . And often, they have given Mr. Modi invaluable fodder for an information campaign that shapes perceptions of him among many Indian voters who are ecstatic to see their country’s importance affirmed.

When Mr. Modi traveled to Australia last month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese referred to him as “the boss” in front of an arena in Sydney packed with about 20,000 people. Mr. Modi then returned to New Delhi to a large crowd gathered for his welcome at 6 in the morning, telling supporters that the grand welcome for him abroad was about India, not him.

On Friday, as Mr. Modi was wrapping up his meetings in the United States before arriving in Egypt for another grand greeting, his political party and the large sections of the broadcast media friendly to him reveled in the reception he had gotten from President Biden and other American leaders.

The red carpet in Washington played perfectly into one of Mr. Modi’s talents: He can build a media campaign out of virtually anything, projecting himself as the only leader who can expand India’s economy and usher a nation coming into its own to new heights.

While opposition leaders back home were holding their largest gathering yet, hoping to find a formula for uniting to challenge the prime minister in elections early next year, Mr. Modi was reaching for the world.

Social media was flooded with montage videos, set to regal background music, of Mr. Modi making a grand entrance into the House of Representatives for his address to a joint session of Congress. The speech, after which several lawmakers sought Mr. Modi’s autograph, made him one of only a very small number of world leaders to have addressed that body twice.

Another video online kept count of the number of times Mr. Modi received applause or standing ovations during his speech. A third cut to dramatic images of Mr. Modi contrasting him with the dynastic leaders who came before him, advancing a constant narrative that he represents a subversion of the old elite that long ruled India.

“History tells us that powerful people come from powerful places. History was wrong,” a deep voice intones in the video. “Powerful people make places powerful.”

Mr. Modi’s next major opportunity to appear as a global statesman will come in September when India welcomes the Group of 20 leaders, a summit meeting he has framed to his support base as his bringing the world to India.

His government has turned promotion for the meeting into a roadshow, hosting hundreds of G20 events, so many that foreign diplomats in New Delhi quietly complain about travel fatigue. Cities and towns across India are decked out with billboards bearing the G20 logo — which cleverly incorporates the lotus, a symbol both of India and his Bharatiya Janata Party — and pictures of Mr. Modi.

In promoting the G20 presidency, Mr. Modi has taken to frequently describing India, the world’s most populous nation, as the “mother of democracy.” Abroad, however, he has pursued a transactional brand of diplomacy built not on practicing democratic values, but on what best serves Indian economic and security interests, and what elevates India in the world.

The image of “a rising India, a new India being seen more seriously abroad” helps Mr. Modi politically, Mr. Malik said. But Mr. Modi is also investing heavily in U.S. relations with an eye toward how they could help an Indian economy that is struggling to create enough jobs for its huge young population and that must put up a fight against an aggressive China next door.

“Addressing China is not just about soldiers and weapons at the border, it’s also about building economic alternatives to what China offers,” Mr. Malik said.

The list of agreements between the United States and India, announced at the end of a bilateral meeting at the White House, was long, covering defense, space and a wide range of technological cooperation.

Defense cooperation, in particular — including deals on Indian manufacturing of General Electric jet engines and purchasing Predator military drones — received a major boost after what had been a history of reluctance and bureaucratic hurdles on both sides.

Dr. Tara Kartha, a former senior official in India’s security council who dealt with U.S. on defense, said the agreement on aircraft engines was “an affirmation of trust” that would help the military partnership beyond the smaller steps of the past two decades.

“Each country is trying to get past its bureaucratic constrains,” she said. “Until the bureaucracy can catch up, there will be frustrations.”

Among ordinary Indians on the streets of New Delhi, opinions of Mr. Modi’s diplomatic efforts were divided.

Vijay Yadav, a 26-year-old taxi driver, said Mr. Modi’s outreach abroad could not cover for how India’s economy was struggling to create enough jobs.

“I saw on Instagram a news feed which was constantly touting Mr. Modi’s trip to America as if no other Indian leader had been there before,” he said. “Firstly, he must get down to solving the problems of his own countrymen before he goes abroad to project himself as a hero.”

Nidhi Garg, 41, who has inherited a vegetable and fruit shop from her father, said her heart swelled each time she saw Mr. Modi representing India abroad.

“Today, wherever you see, the name of our nation is being taken,” she said. “The first thing that comes to anyone’s mind when they mention the word India, they immediately connect it to Prime Minister Modi.”

Suhasini Raj contributed reporting.

Mujib Mashal is The Times’s bureau chief for South Asia. Born in Kabul, he wrote for magazines including The Atlantic, Harper’s and Time before joining The Times. More about Mujib Mashal

As Modi visits, Biden praises India’s democracy despite critics

Indian leader is honored by a rare state visit as Biden seeks to bolster ties with New Delhi, partly as a bulwark against China

President Biden used a state visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to publicly defend India’s democratic values while doubling down on his criticism of China, praising an Indian leader who has been widely accused of overseeing a series of repressive moves in his country.

Asked about allegations by human rights groups that Modi’s government has cracked down on dissent and targeted religious minorities, Biden drew a sharp contrast between India and China, whose leader he recently characterized as a dictator.

“One of the fundamental reasons that I believe the U.S.-China relationship is not in a space as it is with the U.S.-India relationship is that there’s an overwhelming respect for each other because we’re both democracies,” Biden said. “And it’s a common democratic character of both our countries and our people — our diversity; our culture; our open, tolerant, robust debate.”

Modi, addressing reporters alongside Biden, seized on the president’s comment that democracy is in the “DNA” of both America and India, saying that in his country’s values, “there’s absolutely no discrimination, neither on basis of caste, creed, or age, or any kind of geographic location.”

Biden declined to soften his description earlier this week of Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator, saying he would not be “avoiding what I think is the facts” about the U.S.-China relationship. Dismissing what he called “hysteria” about tensions between Washington and Beijing, Biden said he plans to meet with Xi soon and that he did not think his comment “had any real consequence.”

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Biden's democracy pitch tested by Modi visit

Most human rights groups view China as a repressive authoritarian state, while India is seen as a flawed democracy whose leaders are making increasingly troubling moves. The United States urgently wants India as an ally against China, and Biden’s decision to lavish praise on Modi reflects the complexities behind his frequent depiction of a worldwide struggle between democracy and autocracy.

White House aides said Biden’s high-level engagement with Modi during the state visit — a mixture of intricate pageantry and substantive agreements on technology, diplomacy and defense — reflected India’s increasingly prominent role in global affairs and Washington’s desire to boost ties with the world’s most populous nation.

Modi is seeking to bolster his country’s global standing, which White House officials say could in turn benefit U.S. interests. Modi joined Biden for a meeting in the Oval Office, addressed a joint meeting of Congress and attended a state dinner. He is scheduled to have lunch with Vice President Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday.

In his address to Congress, Modi appeared to bolster Biden’s view of China without mentioning the country by name, saying that “the dark shadows of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific.”

In contrast, he did not condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as U.S. officials want him to, saying only, “I now say directly and publicly: This is not an era of war, but it is one of dialogue and democracy. And we all must do what we can to stop the bloodshed and human suffering.”

Modi’s trip to Washington was just the third official state visit of Biden’s presidency, following similar honors for French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol . Modi, who also addressed U.S. lawmakers in 2016, is one of only a handful of world leaders who have been invited twice to address a joint meeting of Congress.

Modi repeatedly referred to India as a robust democracy during his speech, seemingly an implicit response to the criticism.

“Being a citizen of a vibrant democracy myself, I can admit one thing: Mr. Speaker, you have a tough job,” Modi said, turning to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). “I can relate to the battles of passion, persuasion and policy. I can understand the debate of ideas and ideology. But I’m delighted to see you come together today to celebrate the bond between the world’s two great democracies — India and the United States.”

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle rose repeatedly to applaud, while visitors in the House gallery chanted, “Modi! Modi!” Earlier, during a raucous arrival ceremony with thousands of chanting supporters, Biden hailed Modi and touted the “limitless possibilities” of the U.S.-India relationship.

“Two great nations, two great friends, two great powers that can define the course of the 21st century,” Biden said.

Biden and Modi announced several agreements, including a deal to jointly produce a GE fighter jet engine in India and efforts to shore up supply chains for microchips and other key technologies. They also announced that the United States will open new consulates in Bangalore and Ahmedabad, while India will open a new consulate in Seattle.

The comparison between India and China arose in part because of an informal comment Biden made earlier this week about Xi.

Speaking at a fundraiser in California, Biden made what appeared to be an off-the-cuff comment about America’s downing in February of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon , suggesting that Xi had been kept in the dark about it by his own government. “That’s what’s a great embarrassment for dictators — when they didn’t know what happened,” Biden said.

China reacted angrily to that characterization of its leader, calling it “extremely absurd and irresponsible,” but the White House has not backed away from it.

On Thursday, Modi spoke to a Congress that now includes five Indian Americans , while a vice president of Indian descent sat behind him, creating a striking tableau that Modi did not fail to note. “There are millions here who have roots in India, some of them sitting probably in this chamber — and there is one behind me, too,” Modi said. “I’m told the samosa caucus is now the flavor of the House. I hope it grows and brings the full diversity of Indian cuisine here.”

While Biden told reporters that he had discussed human rights and democracy in his private meeting with Modi — saying the United States and India both face “challenges” on those fronts — he did not publicly address the concerns of human rights groups, lawmakers and others who called on the president to take a more aggressive stance.

The organization Human Rights Watch, for example, says that Indian authorities “prosecute activists, journalists, peaceful protesters, and other critics on fabricated counterterrorism and hate speech laws.” Modi’s government, it adds, “has adopted laws and policies that discriminate against religious minorities, especially Muslims.”

In hard-fought midterm, Indian American voters are prized

Activists also cite a proliferation of bigoted rhetoric and attacks on freedom of speech since Modi’s rise to power in 2014, which they say has emboldened Hindu-nationalist groups to act with impunity. The U.S. State Department has also highlighted these developments in reports and statements, saying the situation has grown worse in recent years.

Modi denied that anti-democratic trends are widespread in India and said he was surprised that critics were even raising these issues, given his country’s democratic character. India, he said, has proved that “democracy can deliver,” adding, “when I say deliver, this is regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender.”

Before Modi’s arrival, more than 70 members of Congress urged Biden to use the meeting with the prime minister to address political violence, internet shutdowns, restrictions on press freedom and other “troubling signs” in the world’s largest democracy.

“As longtime supporters of a strong U.S.-India relationship, we also believe that friends can and should discuss their differences in an honest and forthright way,” the lawmakers wrote. “That is why we respectfully request that — in addition to the many areas of shared interests between India and the U.S. — you also raise directly with Prime Minister Modi areas of concern.”

Some lawmakers, including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), both Muslims, boycotted Modi’s speech to Congress.

Modi visit sends a signal to China

A small crowd of demonstrators protested Modi’s visit near the Capitol on Thursday, some holding signs that read, “Religious freedom: All lives in India matter” and “U.S. supporting killer Modi.”

“He’s trying to transform India into a Hindu nation,” said Sheena Sood, 38, who traveled from Philadelphia. “I’m here because we have to resist whenever there is an authoritarian leader who has a fascist’s agenda but claims it’s a secular democracy.”

Daniel Markey, a senior adviser at the U.S. Institute of Peace and a former State Department official, said it’s important for Washington to cultivate closer ties to India, but he criticized former president Donald Trump — and now Biden — for lavishing praise on Modi personally.

“It was bad enough with a Trump administration that didn’t seem to care at all about democratic values, but there’s now an even deeper dissonance with a Biden administration that has said democracy should be at the core of how it makes foreign policy,” Markey said.

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, said that Biden always brings up human rights and democracy in meetings with foreign leaders and that this visit would be no different. At the same time, he said, there is limited value in the United States trying to lecture Modi on the importance of democratic principles.

“As countries, as societies, as polities, my personal view is the best way to do that is to have candid, robust discussion not just between our governments, but between our civil societies, between our activists, between our journalists,” Sullivan said.

In the lead-up to the visit, U.S. officials had lobbied the Modi government to agree to participate in the joint news conference, something the Indian leader has not done in years, officials said. On Wednesday, the White House announced that Modi and Biden would indeed take questions from reporters.

But it was hardly a freewheeling give-and-take. Only two reporters, one from the U.S. press corps and one from the Indian press corps, were allowed to ask questions of the leaders.

Mariana Alfaro, Gerry Shih, Ellen Nakashima and Samantha Latson contributed to this report.

PM Modi US Visit Highlights: PM On High-Level Visit To US Arrives In Washington

Pm modi in us: the prime minister was welcomed by senior officials of the biden administration and india's envoy to the us taranjit singh sandhu..

PM Modi US Visit: Senior Biden officials and India's Envoy welcomed PM Modi in Washington

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who embarked on a high-level US visit on Wednesday at the invitation of President Joe Biden, is set to meet US Vice President Kamala Harris and global CEOs on the first day of his US visit today. The Prime Minister was welcomed by senior officials of the Biden administration and India's envoy to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

The second meeting on PM Modi's agenda will be with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. PM Modi and his Australian counterpart also spoke on the phone last week to review the progress of India- Australia Comprehensive Partnership which includes the pertinent 2+2 dialogue. PM Modi will also attend the Quad summit and address the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Joe Biden will host PM Modi at the White House tomorrow - the first in-person meeting between the two leaders after Biden took over as the US President in January this year.

Here are the Live updates of PM Modi's US visit:

वाशिंगटन पहुंचे पीएम मोदी, भारतीय अमेरिकों ने किया स्वागत pic.twitter.com/rmnBP1QwO2 - NDTV Videos (@ndtvvideos) September 23, 2021

"Grateful to the Indian community in Washington DC for the warm welcome. Our diaspora is our strength. It is commendable how the Indian diaspora has distinguished itself across the world," tweets PM Narendra Modi pic.twitter.com/fXRif5I0oO - ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2021

Grateful to the Indian community in Washington DC for the warm welcome. Our diaspora is our strength. It is commendable how the Indian diaspora has distinguished itself across the world. pic.twitter.com/6cw2UR2uLH - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2021

Landed in Washington DC. Over the next two days, will be meeting @POTUS @JoeBiden and @VP @KamalaHarris , Prime Ministers @ScottMorrisonMP and @sugawitter . Will attend the Quad meeting and would also interact with leading CEOs to highlight economic opportunities in India. pic.twitter.com/56pt7hnQZ8 - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2021

Exuberant members of the Indian diaspora welcoming PM @narendramodi upon landing in Washington D.C. pic.twitter.com/cqELcYtMnN - Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 22, 2021

US: PM Narendra Modi was received by India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, along with the Defence attache incl Brigadier Anoop Singhal, Air Commodore Anjan Bhadra, naval attache Commodore Nirbhaya Bapna & US Dy Secy of State for Management &Resources TH Brian McKeon pic.twitter.com/KadTmLfvkB - ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2021

Always a matter of pride to see our 🇮🇳 away from India. The tricolour fluttering at the Joint Base Andrews in honour of PM @narendramodi . pic.twitter.com/qJSgpsdmcB - Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 22, 2021

Namaste USA! PM @narendramodi was greeted on arrival by Shri Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to USA and Mr. T. H. Brian McKeon, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources. pic.twitter.com/0sVCrP5Miu - Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) September 22, 2021

US: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets people who were waiting to welcome him at Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC pic.twitter.com/YkAWQSPCI3 - ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2021

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives at the airport at Andrews Airbase, United States pic.twitter.com/K2fJotDCfX - ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2021

#WATCH | United States: People hold the Indian National flag as they cheer & wait for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC pic.twitter.com/aBGiFbcXZS - ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2021

US: People hold Indian National flags amid light showers as they wait for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC pic.twitter.com/Hdvag5LwQ3 - ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2021

A long flight also means opportunities to go through papers and some file work. pic.twitter.com/nYoSjO6gIB - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2021

Will also participate in the Quad with President @JoeBiden , PM @ScottMorrisonMP and PM @sugawitter . We will take stock of outcomes of Summit in March. I will also address UNGA focusing on the global challenges. https://t.co/FcuhlJbeSl - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2021

At the invitation of @POTUS @JoeBiden , I am visiting USA to continue our dialogue, and exchange views on areas of mutual interest. Also looking forward to meet @VP @KamalaHarris to discuss global issues and explore ideas for cooperation between 🇮🇳🇺🇸. - Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 22, 2021

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Here's why Democrats and Republicans welcome a visit from right-wing Indian PM Narendra Modi

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden and congressional leaders will roll out the red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, as the right-wing Hindu nationalist leader arrives for an official state visit to the United States.

Modi will address a joint session of Congress and will be feted at a White House state dinner — a diplomatic honor usually reserved for close allies. On Sunday, many Indian Americans took to the streets in major cities across the country for an "India Unity Day" march to welcome Modi to the U.S.

The marches, organized by the American overseas arm of Modi's right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party, were a show of support for the controversial Indian leader who has faced criticism for presiding over human rights violations, an erosion of the country's democracy, and a crackdown in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

That Democrats and Republicans alike are honoring Modi this week demonstrates the White House and Congress are willing to overlook his right-wing populist agenda in the pursuit of a strategically important relationship that will allow the U.S. to counter China's influence .

Why the U.S. relationship with India is 'strategically important'

Meanwhile, Modi's political allies in Washington stepped up their lobbying efforts with members of Congress and the Biden administration ahead of his official state visit this week.

Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide

Sanjay Puri, the chairman and founder of the bipartisan U.S.-India Political Action Committee (USINPAC), said that in their lobbying efforts, the group has sought to underscore that India is "the only democracy in that region" and emphasize that the rise of China resulted in the U.S.-India partnership becoming a "strategically important relationship."

"That's been our push," Puri said of the group's discussions with lawmakers ahead of Modi's visit. "It has resulted in, obviously, the [congressional] leadership asking him to come in and speak and also President Biden inviting him for a state dinner as well as several other activities around that."

In addition to combatting American criticism of the Indian government's human rights record, the welcome marches likely also sought to enhance Modi's political image at home ahead of a general election next year, according to Gautam Nair, a professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.

"This visit actually should buttress his domestic political standing," Nair, who was born and raised in India, said. "And these rallies sort of suggest, or help foster an image, that he is an international leader of stature as well."

Mukesh Aghi, president of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum, said the "the Indian diaspora is quite excited about what Modi is doing, excited about the direction of the country, and feel proud of their heritage."

Countering China

Modi's visit also comes just days after Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with senior Chinese officials in Beijing over the weekend, a bid to improve relations between the two superpowers after months of heightened tensions. Washington has increasingly looked to forge closer ties with New Delhi to counter China's rising political and economic influence.

Nair said he believes the rationale for giving Modi the star treatment during his visit to the United States is "quite clear."

"This extra effort is because traditionally India has been wary of forging formal alliances with great powers," Nair said. "This is reflected in the fact that on the one hand, defense ties, diplomatic ties, economic ties are deepening with the United States, and at the same time China is a huge trading partner for India."

Aghi said he expects Modi's visit to yield a deal that will allow General Electric to manufacture jet engines in India for the country's military aircrafts, in addition to fostering discussions on healthcare and artificial intelligence between the two countries.

"I think what we're seeing is a much more deeper collaboration on technology, investments, and defense," Aghi said.

How this U.S.-India partnership could be one of the most significant in a century

Rep. Ro Khanna , D-Calif., who serves as a co-chair of the U.S.-India congressional caucus, told USA TODAY he believes the "U.S.-India partnership will be one of the most significant of this century."

"We will be working to strengthen the technology and defense relationship and to promote scientific research and cooperation on climate change initiatives," Khanna said.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley , a 2024 Republican presidential candidate and the daughter of Indian immigrants, said she also welcomed the decision to invite Modi for an official state visit.

"India is a critically important country in the Indo-Pacific region and a natural ally of America with so many shared values and interests," Haley told USA TODAY. "It is entirely appropriate that Prime Minister Modi should address Congress and be celebrated at the White House."

Biden and American political leaders, however, have faced criticism for giving Modi the official state visit treatment without putting a stronger focus on the rollback of press freedoms in India and his government's treatment of minority Muslims and Christians.

"The relationship must be grounded on a respect for pluralism, an open internet, human rights and liberal democracy," Khanna said.

Why it matters: Secretary Blinken visits Beijing as tensions grow between U.S. and China

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‘India is now a linchpin’: US looks to Narendra Modi’s visit to counter China

The Biden administration will try to strengthen US-India ties while the Indian leader looks to shore up votes for next year’s election

T he symbolism of the visit will be hard to avoid. As Narendra Modi arrives in Washington DC on Wednesday – the capital of a country he was once prohibited from visiting for almost 10 years – he will join the ranks of Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Volodymyr Zelenskiy as one of the few leaders to address a joint session of Congress more than once.

Statements from US officials ahead of the visit have been rapturous on the subject of US-India relations, praising the “significant defence partnership” and describing it as “a unique connection between the world’s oldest and largest democracies”. Before his departure from India , Modi said: “This special invitation is a reflection of the vigour and vitality of the partnership between our democracies.”

Yet this trip – Modi’s sixth to the US since he came to power in 2014 but the first where a full state dinner will be given in his honour – is expected to yield more than good optics for the Indian prime minister. Many expect it to further crystallise ties between two countries and boost a relationship that has been on an upwards trajectory for two decades – even as they remain fundamentally opposed on several key issues. Defence, technology, security, AI, telecoms, visas, manufacturing and space are all said to be on the table. Meanwhile, the issues of the erosion of democracy in India and the shrinking space for dissent and civil society under Modi are unlikely to be discussed in depth.

Now the world’s most populous country – with 1.4 billion people and rising – and the world’s fifth largest economy, India’s growing prominence, both economically and geopolitically, makes it a country that the Biden administration – like those of Trump, Obama and Bush before it – could not ignore. Yet most experts say that it is China that has been the fundamental driver of this growing alliance; and as Modi touches down in DC, mutual concerns over Beijing’s aggressive, expansionist agenda have never been more acute.

Since Modi last visited the US in 2019, when Donald Trump was in the White House, China’s actions along its 2,100-mile (3,500km) border with India have become increasingly antagonistic. In 2020, the two sides came the closest they had been to war in 70 years when troops clashed along the Himalayan border in Ladakh , killing dozens of soldiers, after Chinese troops encroached on land typically patrolled by India. Since then, China has built up vast amounts of infrastructure along disputed territory and shown little desire to disengage in key areas of contention.

This has coincided with a shift in Washington’s relationship with China , from that of strategic competitor to rival or outright threat that must be deterred and contained. The bipartisan consensus is that India is a crucial geopolitical, and even economic, counterweight to China’s dominance in the Indo-Pacific region.

“In Washington, the hope is to build out an extended framework of deterrence to try and keep China in check,” said Milan Vaishnav, director of the south Asia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “Both geographically as well as strategically and economically, India has become a linchpin in this framework.”

This geopolitical alignment over China – which also drove the formation of the Quad, a security grouping of India, the US, Australia and Japan – has led to an unprecedented flourishing of security and defence cooperation between the US and India. There has been increased intelligence sharing and joint military exercises in the Himalayas close to the China border, and Modi’s US visit is expected to yield several defence deals for surveillance technology and drones.

India has embraced Washington’s new willingness to share its advanced technology and cyber resources, given that its own technological advancements have lagged far behind China’s. Modi will be hoping to close a landmark deal allowing US giant General Electric to produce jet engines in India, to power Indian military aircraft. It will be the first time such a collaboration on military technology has taken place, sending a clear message to China.

While there is little expectation of trade deals between the two countries, trade between India and the US reached a record $191bn in 2022, making the US India’s largest trading partner. There is an interest on both sides in building up India as an economic and manufacturing alternative for big western companies to wean it off its dependency on China – 95% of iPhones are currently made in China, for example, but Apple is slowly shifting manufacturing to India, which is expected to produce 25% of iPhones by 2025.

The limits of a US-India relationship

Yet for all the gushing rhetoric about being “partners of first resort”, experts have also been quick to point out the limitations of the US-India relationship.

Writing in Foreign Affairs, Ashley Tellis, one of the key negotiators for the US nuclear deal with India , warned that even as the Biden administration continued to invest heavily in India, it should not have any “ delusions of New Delhi becoming a comrade-in-arms during some future crisis with Beijing ”, particularly in terms of India actively taking the US side if China invades Taiwan.

“India will never be the kind of ally that the Americans have found in the Anglosphere: this is not going to be Australia, Canada or the United Kingdom,” said Avinash Paliwal, an associate professor in international relations at Soas University of London.

“India thinks of itself as a power on its own merit and it has its own geographical compulsions, its own kind of power and its own aspirations on a regional and global scale. There is a meeting of minds and interests at the moment but that’s not something that will last for ever.”

Another issue that looms large over Modi’s visit is that of human rights, in particular the democratic backsliding and the attacks on minorities in India since his populist, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power. They are allegations that have haunted Modi even before he was prime minister, when his alleged role in the Gujarat riots led to him being banned from the US for a decade .

They have been well documented by the Biden administration. Last year, the state department’s report on international religious freedom documented the challenges to freedom of expression, extrajudicial killings and discrimination against minority groups in Modi’s India, prompting India to call the report “flawed and biased”. More recently, the Commission on International Religious Freedom, a bipartisan agency appointed by Congress, recommended in May that the state department designate India a country of concern for “ongoing and egregious religious freedom violations”.

Before Modi’s visit, Amnesty International called on the US to confront India on the deterioration of human rights and Human Rights Watch organised a screening for US policymakers of a BBC documentary that was critical of Modi, and which was banned in India earlier, as a deliberate reminder of the attacks on freedom of speech under his government.

Yet no US president since Bill Clinton has been forthright on human rights in India, and though the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, did make a rare reference to a rise in “human rights abuses” last year, the Biden administration is expected to continue to keep quiet on any discomfort it may have over Modi’s populist, religious nationalist politics in the name of building strategic security ties. Already several White House officials have made recent references to India’s “vibrant democracy”.

“It’s unlikely to come up, at least in this round of conversations,” said Paliwal. “The Americans are OK doing business with quasi- or undemocratic countries and so I don’t see the democratic decline in India dislocating the glue that is binding the top levels of the two governments or preventing them coming together to deal with the China question.”

Russia, which was briefly a source of contention between India and the US, is also unlikely to be brought up by Biden. India’s historic ties to Russia, which provides almost 80% of its defence and weapons, have ensured that Modi has refused to condemn Putin’s invasion of Ukraine , instead taking a neutral stance, and in the meantime India has become the biggest buyer of cheap Russian oil. While there was initial pushback from Washington, the consensus among analysts is that the Biden administration has now accepted India’s deep-rooted relationship Russia; some believe it has even hastened US cooperation with India on defence to help the country become less dependent on Russia.

But for Modi, this visit can also serve a more personal political purpose. In the US, the Indian diaspora is now one of the largest immigrant groups – second only to Mexicans – and its members occupy influential positions in tech, business, banking and law, and some have even become well-known faces in Hollywood. Emphasising these people-to-people ties, and the vital contributions Indians have made in the US, is also likely to be a prominent part of Modi’s trip.

With India’s next general election less than a year away, the optics of Modi being given full honours by the US president are also likely to play well to the electorate back home. Modi is expected to win a third term in office and his popularity is credited in part to an image among voters that he has made India into a respected player on the world stage and is now courted by powerful western leaders.

“Since independence, India has seen itself as an international power but felt it did not get the recognition or role it deserved,” said Tanvi Madan, director of the India Project at the Brookings Institution in Washington DC. “But Modi seems to believe that endorsements from the US, far from generating a backlash, generate a sense of optimism that this is India’s moment.”

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PM Modi's historic US trip: All you need to know about ‘state visit’

The june 20-24 visit will be modi's sixth to the united states as india's pm, but his first official state visit to the country..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday left for his historic state visit to the United States. This will be his sixth US visit since coming to power in May 2014, but his first official state visit to the country. The trip will commence on June 20 and conclude on June 24, after which the prime minister will leave for another maiden state visit, to Egypt.

Also Read | Modi leaves for historic US visit: ‘Together we stand stronger’

What is a state visit.

It is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country. When a leader undertakes a state visit, the head of state of the destination country acts as the former's official host throughout the duration of the trip.

Such a visit always includes a state reception by the host for the guest. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, too, will host PM Modi for a state dinner.

Also, a state visit is usually reserved only for ‘closest friends and allies.’ It, therefore, signifies the highest expression of friendly bilateral ties between two sovereign nations.

How is a state visit different from an official visit?

The latter involves much less pomp and show than the former. An official visit, also sometimes known as official working visit or working visit, may include an official dinner, which, however, is nowhere near as glittering as a state dinner.

Also, a state visit is usually undertaken by a head of state, and not the head of government. Modi's trip, therefore, is significant as the President is the head of state in India, and the prime minister, the head of government. The US President is both the head of state and government.

Indian leaders and state visits to the US

Before Modi, only 2 Indian leaders have been hosted by the United States as an official state guest: President S Radhakrishnan in June 1963, and PM Manmohan Singh in November 2009.

Also Read | Modi in USA: 5 things to know about PM's upcoming state visit

Overall, as many as 9 Indian PMs have undertaken visits to the US: Jawaharlal Nehru and Atal Bihari Vajpayee (4 trips each), Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi (3 each), PV Narasimha Rao (2), and Morarji Desai and IK Gujral (1 each). Singh, on the other hand, went there 8 times as India's premier.

Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times' newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we've got you covered. ...view detail

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Why is Indian PM Narendra Modi’s Egypt visit significant?

The trip is anticipated to pave the way for a substantial increase in India’s investment in the North African country.

As Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi begins a two-day visit to Egypt, some analysts have hailed it as a potential “game changer” for bilateral ties.

The trip has been expected to pave the way for a substantial increase in India’s investment in the North African country and a ladder for Egypt to gain entry to the BRICS economic bloc.

Keep reading

As biden, modi meet, a flurry of us and india deals, egypt defers payments for wheat imports amid dollar crunch, egypt approves budget amid privatisation drive, economic crisis, how much influence do the brics wield on the world stage.

It is Modi’s first visit to the country as prime minister and the first by any Indian prime minister since 1997.

It has come months after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s January visit to New Delhi when he was the chief guest at India’s 74th Republic Day celebrations. El-Sisi was the first Egyptian president accorded the honour.

Modi’s visit has been viewed as strengthening the bilateral relations the two sides had already elevated to a strategic level during el-Sisi’s January visit. Analysts say it could also reveal the contours of how ties could unfurl in the days ahead.

“This is a very quick, reciprocal visit coming just within six months of President Sisi’s visit to India. We do expect and are confident that the visit will not just ensure continuing momentum to the relationship between our two countries, but will also help it expand to new areas of trade and economic engagement,” Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

From Egypt’s point of view, it is more about diversifying partnerships beyond the Western bloc. For India, observers have said it is to consolidate its position as a voice of the Global South as it gears up to host the G20 meeting in September in the capital New Delhi.

Apart from bilateral talks and the signing of various trade agreements, Modi will interact with the small Indian community and was expected to meet some prominent leaders in Egypt.

India and Egypt have enjoyed close ties as they were the founding numbers of the 1961 Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) – a global forum of 120 developing countries that believed in the non-alignment of major power blocs.

In recent years, el-Sisi has travelled to India three times. While Egypt has eyed increasing India’s investment in the country, experts said New Delhi is looking for deeper access to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through Cairo.

‘Refurbished image’

Aftab Kamal Pasha, who taught Middle Eastern Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, told Al Jazeera that Egypt and India have enjoyed friendly relations historically.

“There are clear limits to what he [Modi] can get from the GCC [ Gulf Cooperation Council ] states, so he turned to Egypt,” Pasha said.

Pasha said el-Sisi would like to see Egypt join BRICS – a powerful grouping of the world’s major economies including Brazil, Russia, India, and China.

Modi “wants to balance China in the organisation” and also to prevent Pakistan, which Beijing wants inside BRICS, from joining, he said. Expectations have been high that Modi will announce India’s support for Egypt’s desire to join BRICS.

“Modi will be able to project at home that the most important Arab country is supporting India … without attacking his policy towards Indian Muslims , not mentioning what he’s doing in Kashmir ,” said Pasha.

What do both countries seek?

Egypt’s economy has endured tumultuous periods over the past few years, initially caused by the pandemic and then followed by the Russia-Ukraine war, which affected the food supply of almost 80 percent of Egypt’s grains imported from Russia and Ukraine.

The war also impacted Egypt’s foreign exchange reserves. In 2022, despite putting restrictions on wheat exports, India stepped in to assist crisis-ridden Egypt and allowed shipments of 61,500 metric tonnes to the country.

To overcome the crisis, Egypt is eyeing investment from India to meet its foreign debt obligations and maintain food security. Since Russia’s invasion, Egypt’s currency has depreciated nearly by half. Multiple foreign investors have pulled billions out of Egyptian treasury markets.

Analysts have said close ties with Cairo can also hold significance for India. The most populous country in MENA, Egypt holds a crucial geostrategic significance as 12 percent of global trade passes through the Suez Canal.

Cairo can be a gateway to major markets in both Europe and Africa for India, experts said. India has also been concerned about China’s growing influence in Egypt.

China’s bilateral trade with Egypt is currently at $15bn, double that of India’s $7.26bn in 2021-22. The latest bilateral trade reached $5.18bn from April 22 to January 23.

Regional recognition

Fazzur Rahman Siddiqui, senior research fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), New Delhi, told Al Jazeera that India intends to emerge as a significant power in the Global South.

“Since Modi came to power, India has tried to broaden its foreign policy outreach. India has opened almost 20 new missions on the African continent,” Siddiqui said.

“Egypt has lost its voice in regional affairs like in Palestine, Ethiopia, and many African countries over the years. The kind of say it used to have; they have lost their shine. And Egypt is now looking beyond the continent, and India happens to be potential for its growing stature.”

He said by allying with Egypt, India could have deeper access to the Arab world, Africa, and much deeper access to Israel. After taking over the G20 presidency in December 2022, India has invited Egypt to participate as a “guest country”.

In an interview with the Indian daily Hindustan Times last week, Egyptian ambassador to India, Wael Mohamed Awad Hamed, called the visits “game-changers”.

“We can reinforce each other’s position on the international front … we are offering India a very promising opportunity of taking Egypt as a springboard to three regions – Europe, the Middle East, and the whole of Africa,” he said.

“With the launch of the direct connection between Cairo and New Delhi, along with the possibility of having an industrial zone for India in Egypt – these are all things that will really solidify our relations and take them to new horizons.”

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List of countries visited by Narendra Modi for the first time ever as Indian Prime Minister

Prime minister narendra modi has made a deep impact on the world stage..

As PM embarks on his visit to France, here is a look at countries where Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister ever to visit.

Mongolia: Narendra Modi was the first-ever Indian Prime Minister to visit Mongolia in May 2015. During his visit, various agreements were signed between both nations. 

Palestine:  PM Modi visited Palestine in February 2018, the first for any Indian Prime Minister. During his visit, he signed six agreements worth around $50 million that includes setting up of a $30 million super speciality hospital in Beit Sahur. He was also conferred the highest civilian award of Palestine, the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine.

Rwanda: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Rwanda visit in July 2018 was the first visit to the East African country by any Indian Prime Minister. He held a bilateral meeting with the President of Rwanda and also met the business community. The PM visited the Genocide Memorial and participated in an event on "Girinka” (one cow per family), a national social protection scheme of Rwanda personally initiated by President Paul Kagame.

Israel: In the year 2017, Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel. During the visit, seven MoUs were signed. 

Bahrain:  PM Modi visited the Kingdom of Bahrain in August 2019. This was the first-ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to the Kingdom. PM Modi held talks with Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and other leaders. He also interacted with the Indian diaspora.

Papua New Guinea: Prime Minister Modi was the Indian leader to visit Papua New Guinea. He visited the world's third-largest island country in May 2023. 

List of nations Indian PM visited after a long time 

Fiji: In 2014 November, PM Modi visited Fiji. He became the first Indian head of government to visit Fiji after 33 years, after Indira Gandhi's visit in 1981. During his maiden visit, the PM attended a 'Forum for India-Pacific Island Cooperation' along with leaders from all 14 Pacific island nations. He was conferred with the highest honour of Fiji. PM Modi was conferred with the "The Companion of the Order of Fiji" in recognition of his global leadership.

Seychelles: In March 2015, PM Modi visited Seychelles, thus becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to travel to Seychelles in 33 years, after Indira Gandhi. Modi's visit to Seychelles was part of his "Indian Ocean outreach" programme.

Mozambique: PM Narendra Modi visited Mozambique in 2016. This was the first prime ministerial visit from India to Mozambique after the visit of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1982.

Sweden:  PM Modi visited Sweden in April 2018. This is the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to Sweden in 30 years. PM Modi, during his bilateral visit to Sweden, held productive talks with Swedish PM Stefan Lofven. PM Modi interacted with leading business leaders. The PM also met His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden. 

UAE: In August 2015, PM Modi visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He was the first Indian Prime Minister in 34 years to visit the UAE. Indira Gandhi was the last Indian Prime Minister to have made a trip to the country in 1981.

Ireland:  PM Modi made a stopover in Ireland in 2015, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country in around 60 years. Jawaharlal Nehru was the last Indian Prime Minister to visit Ireland in 1956. 

Turkmenistan:  Modi was the second Indian PM to visit Turkmenistan in 2015 after PV Narasimha Rao. PM Modi visited Turkmenistan and other central Asian countries following his visit to Russia for the BRICS summit.

Jordan: PM Modi visited Jordan in 2018, making it the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 30 years. Rajiv Gandhi visited the nation in 1988. PM Modi held a meeting with Prime Minister Hani Al-Mulki and King Abdullah II of Jordan.

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Interactive | PM Narendra Modi’s foreign visit timeline: 18 countries, 55 days

Here's an interactive timeline that looks into the 18 countries that pm narendra modi visited in his first year in office..

In the span of last one year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited 18 countries, a majority of which were official state visits and spent close to 55 days abroad. His first foreign destination was the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, which has remained one of India’s closest allies for decades. His last foreign visit was to South Korea. Some of his important foreign visits include the United States of America, Japan, China, Germany and Sri Lanka. Nepal remains the only country that PM Modi has visited twice.

For a more broader look into which countries he visited, who he met and what he did there, here’s an interactive timeline that serves the purpose. Take a look.

[INTERACTIVE LOADING…]

TIMELINE TEXT

June 16-17, 2014 – Off to Bhutan – For his first foreign visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose Bhutan, India’s neighbour and closest ally for decades. During the visit, he met Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk and addressed a joint session of Parliament in Thimphu.

July 13-16, 2014 – The BRICS Summit – In a major multilateral visit to Brazil, PM Modi met the heads of some of the most powerful nations — China, Brazil, Russia and South Africa and got many of his ideas mentioned in the declaration.

August 3-4, 2014 – Road to Kathmandu – Reaffirming his focus on the SAARC nations, PM Modi chose Nepal as his destination for his second state visit. In Kathmandu, he addressed the national parliament and offered prayers at the Pashupatinath temple.

August 30-September 3, 2014 – The Japanese Bond – India’s ever strong bond with Japan got a fresh boost after PM Modi visited Kyoto and Tokyo in August-September. He met with Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe and visited two ancient Buddhist temples.

September 26-30, 2014 – Indo-US relations – Almost all eyes were on US as PM Modi made his way to Washington to hold talks with President Barack Obama on a historic state visit. He also addressed the UN General Assembly.

November 11-13, 2014 – East Asia Summit – PM Modi pushed for greater connectivity among nations at the India- ASEAN Summit and also held bilateral talks with President Thein Sein at Nay Pyi Taw.

November 14-18, 2014 – Trip Down Under – Narendra Modi became the first Indian PM to travel to Australia in 28 years. He attended the G-20 Summit, held talks with PM Tony Abbott and even took a selfie with him at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground.

November 19, 2014 – The Fiji connection – PM Modi announced a Rs 75 million credit line for Fiji as he made his way to Suva. The two countries also agreed to expand their defence and security cooperation.

November 25-27, 2014 – SAARC Summit – The Prime Minister made his second visit to Kathmandu to attend the SAARC Summit and raised the issue of terrorism in the presence of his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif .

March 10-11, 2015 – Off to Seychelles – Aiming to give a thrust towards developing strategic assets, PM Narendra Modi visited Victoria in the tiny island country of Seychelles and inked a pact to develop the infrastructure of Assumption island.

March 11-13, 2015 – Onward to Mauritius – New Delhi firmed up plans towards building strategic assets in Agalega in Mauritius after PM Modi’s visit to the island country.

March 13-14, 2015 – The Lankan trip – The first Indian PM to visit Sri Lanka after Rajiv Gandhi in 1987, Narendra Modi met newly-elected President Maithripala Sirisena in Colombo and travelled to the Tamil-majority Jaffna province.

March 29, 2015 – Goodbye Lee Kuan Yew – PM Modi joined other world leaders to bid goodbye to Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew. The Prime Minister called Lee one ‘among the tallest leaders of our times.’

April 9-12, 2015 – To Paris – France became the first leg of an extensive three-nation tour kickstarted by PM Modi. He signed a deal with France for supply of 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition along with a railway protocol to develop a semi high-speed railway corridor.

April 12-14, 2015 – Next stop: Germany – Continuing his three-nation tour, PM Modi arrived in Berlin and held talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. He also inaugurated the India pavilion at the world-famous Hannover technological fair.

April 14-16, 2015 – The Canada Connection – Canada, which hosts a large Indian diaspora, was the third and final leg of PM Modi’s foreign tour. Canada signed a landmark agreement of long-term supply of Uranium to India.

May 14-16, 2015 – To China – PM Modi started his visit to China in Xi’an, the hometown of President Xi Jinping. The Prime Minister also visited Beijing and Shanghai and held extensive meetings with the top Chinese leadership and several business leaders.

May 16-17, 2015 – State visit to Mongolia – PM Modi announced a massive $1 billion credit line to Mongolia during his state visit there and asserted that Mongolia is an integral part of India’s Act East Policy.

May 18-19, 2015 – Off to South Korea – In the backdrop of PM Modi’s visit in Seoul, India and South Korea inked seven agreements, including on avoidance of double taxation and formalising consultations between National Security Councils of the two nations.

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• 8 years, over 100 visits: PM Modi's foreign tours in numbers

8 years, over 100 visits: PM Modi's foreign tours in numbers

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