White House to host India’s Modi for official state visit

President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will host India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit and dinner in June, the White House announced Wednesday. 

The White House said the June 22 visit will “affirm the deep and close partnership” and friendships between the two nations. 

“The visit will strengthen our two countries’ shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defense, clean energy, and space,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

The two leaders “will discuss ways to further expand our educational exchanges and people-to-people ties, as well as our work together to confront common challenges from climate change, to workforce development and health security,” Jean-Pierre added.

Biden is traveling as the first sitting president to visit Papua New Guinea later this month, and Reuters reports Biden and Modi will meet with Pacific islands leaders May 22 on the way to the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Sydney, Australia — ahead of the official state visit in June.