Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a two-nation visit to the United States and Egypt on June 21. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra gave a detailed schedule of PM Modi's visit in a press briefing. He said that PM Modi is visiting the US from June 21 to 23 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. He said that this will be PM Modi's first State-level visit to the US.


He said that the visit is a milestone in the relationship between the two countries. "...It is a very significant visit, a very important visit. A visit on which there is a genuine and widespread deep interest in the United States...," Kwatra added.







He further said that one of the key components which will be prominently showcased during PM Modi's visit will be bilateral defence cooperation. MEA added that defence industrial cooperation roadmap to be a key outcome of PM Modi's US visit beginning June 21.


He further said that one of the key components which will be prominently showcased during PM Modi's visit will be bilateral defence cooperation. MEA added that defence industrial cooperation roadmap to be a key outcome of PM Modi's US visit.


Highlighting India-US ties, Kwatra said, "The second key component has been strong trade and investment partnership. Third is the technology component which interfaces with many other domains - telecom, space, manufacturing and investment."


PM Modi's visit will commence in New York, where he will lead the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters on June 21. In December 2014, the UN General Assembly had adopted a resolution proclaiming June 21 as the International Day of Yoga.


On the first day of arrival to Washington DC, MEA said that the first key engagement will be an event that would focus on scaling for the future "which would try to bring out key complementarities and the objectives that both systems seek to promote and achieve".


"On June 22, there will be 4-5 key components - ceremonial welcome at the White House, a set of bilateral meetings, PM's scheduled address to the US Congress, ceremonial State dinner," the MEA added.


PM Modi's Egypt Visit


PM Narendra Modi will visit Egypt on June 24-25 after concluding his trip to the US. It will be PM Modi's first visit to the Middle-East nation and first official bilateral visit of an Indian PM to Egypt since 1997, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra. He added that there have been visits in between, but they have mostly been for multilateral or plurilateral events. Kwatra further said that PM Modi will first meet with the India unit, a select unit of high-level ministers that the President of Egypt had constituted after his return from India.


"Most recently, the Egyptian president had paid a state visit to India when he graced our Republic Day earlier in the year as the chief guest. At this stage, the prime Minister is expected to reach Cairo in the afternoon of June 24 where his first interaction will be with the India unit," the Foreign Secretary said.


He also mentioned that over the last several months, India has seen intense level of ministerial-level political exchanges with Egypt.


"External Affairs Minister himself, the Defence Minister and the Minister of Environment have travelled to Egypt. We have had, similarly at least three to four ministers from the Egyptian government who have visited India," he added.


He said, "Even as we speak a ministerial-level delegation led by the chairperson of the Suisse Canal Authority is in India clearly shows you the extent of very sharp focus that both India and Egypt are placing on strengthening all aspects of their relationship."


"His next day will begin with a visit to Al-Hakim mosque. It is the 11th-century mosque which was refurbished, and renovated by the Bohra community and the visit to Al-Hakim mosque will be followed by a visit to the Heliopolis War Grave cemetery to pay tribute to the Indian soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice fighting for Egypt during the First World War," the Foreign Secretary added.


After this, Kwatra said, the Prime Minister will have an official engagement with the President of Egypt, including bilateral talks with him and the signing of various MoUs and agreements on that day, said Kwatra.


According to ANI, recalling the recent India visit of the Grand Mufti of Egypt, he said, "Egypt has also been invited as a special guest during India's G20 presidency."


Talking about this trip, Kwatra said that PM Modi's visit is a "very quick, reciprocal visit," which came just within six months of Egypt President Sisi's visit to India.


"We do expect and are confident that the visit of PM Modi to Egypt 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 between our two countries," Kwatra said.


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