US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday (June 23) hosted a luncheon for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the State Department. Speaking at the event, Kamala emphasised India's global influence and positive contributions, such as the impact of India-made vaccines in Southeast Asia, longstanding partnerships in Africa, and efforts to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region, emphasising the importance of India's role on the global stage.
The US Vice-President can be heard saying in a video shared by news agency ANI, "As I travel the world as Vice-President, I've seen the impact India's global impact." Vaccines manufactured in India saved lives in South East Asia. India's long-standing partnerships in Africa promote prosperity and security. India promotes a free and open region through the Indo-Pacific".
Prime Minister Modi is currently in Washington on a state visit at the invitation of President Joe Biden. On Thursday, the two leaders met for the first time in history. Biden also hosted a state dinner for the Indian leader.
On Thursday, Modi became the first Indian leader to address the joint session of the United States Congress twice. In 2016, he delivered his first speech to a joint session of the United States Congress.
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"The US-India partnership is stronger than ever. Together, our nations will shape the future as we work to create a more prosperous, secure, and healthy world," Harris' office tweeted on Thursday.
"The partnership between the United States and India is one of the most important of the twenty-first century," it said, adding that "this visit will take our partnership to the next level — from space to defence, to emerging technology and supply chains."
In his response, Prime Minister Modi thanked Vice President Harris for her remarks.
"Our partnership indeed holds immense potential for this century. I am equally enthusiastic about elevating our cooperation in futuristic sectors," he tweeted.
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Harris was among the dignitaries who attended Prime Minister Modi's state dinner at the White House on Thursday, including billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani and tech titans like Google CEO Sunder Pichai and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
"There are millions here who have roots in India," Modi said during his speech to the US Congress. Some of them are seated with pride in this chamber. There is someone who has made history behind me." He was referring to Harris, the first African-American and Asian-American vice president, as well as the highest-ranking female official in US history.