The spectacle in D.C. has emboldened Hindu nationalists, Singh noted. Indian leader's White House visit shadowed by human rights concerns Domestic politics often hang over the dinner, as well. Eager to tell his side of the story, Mr. Lula stood alone in the White House driveway on a dark, cold night to answer reporters questions. Modi joined Biden for a meeting in the Oval Office, addressed a joint meeting of Congress and attended a state dinner. White House aides said Bidens high-level engagement with Modi during the state visit a mixture of intricate pageantry and substantive agreements on technology, diplomacy and defense reflected Indias increasingly prominent role in global affairs and Washingtons desire to boost ties with the worlds most populous nation. Peace and security in the Indo-Pacific is our priority, Modi said. What is the Monitor difference? In his address to Congress, Modi appeared to bolster Bidens 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 Russias 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. Depending on the countrys political system, head of government could mean president or prime minister, but not both. We talked about our shared efforts to mitigate humanitarian tragedies unleashed by Russias brutal war in Ukraine and to defend core principles of the UN charter, the US president said. But you know what? Just a few weeks ago, Trump hit 3,400 conflicts of interest. In India the benefits provided by the government is accessible to all.. There is no cost to tour the White House . We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. The Assam police will act according to our own priorities.. Were the bran muffin of journalism. May 10, 2023, at 9:38 a.m. India's Modi to Visit White House in June as Biden Seeks Stronger Ties Amid Competition With China. India has also become an especially difficult place to be a reporter. Biden is among 38 heads of government who have visited Ukraine since the beginning of the war there. Please note that storage facilities are not provided during your visit. Mr. Biden and Mr. Modi have also had differences over Russias war in Ukraine. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international travel in 2020 and 2021, but diplomatic travel picked up significantly in 2022. Its not going to be determined by the United States, Mr. Sullivan said. And Washington became New Delhis largest trading partner in the 2022-23 fiscal year. That visit came about 15 months before the shah was overthrown in Irans Islamic Revolution. or call us at 1-617-450-2300. We change lives. For example, Guatemalas President Alejandro Giammattei and Guinea-Bissaus President Umaro Sissoco Embal traveled to Ukraine in July 2022 and October 2022, respectively. Published 28 Jul 2021 Diplomacy United States China In April, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga became the first foreign leader to meet US President Joe Biden at the White House. I know a bit about the anxieties of reporting in Modis India. The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500 . The fact that Modi has been invited despite being complicit with innocent people being killed since 2002 when he was the chief minister [of Gujarat] is devastating for our communities because its just saying, its OK what you do back home but you can still come here, said Husnaa Vhora, the advocacy associate for the DC-based non-profit Indian American Muslim council. Biden, who has been on the world stage for nearly five decades as senator, vice president and now president, has hosted the leaders of Japan and South Korea at the White House since taking office . This government has employed a range of tactics to chill free expression, said Nadine Farid Johnson of PEN America, a nonprofit organization that advocates for free expression. The comparison between India and China arose in part because of an informal comment Biden made earlier this week about Xi. The White House has reduced opportunities for journalists to ask Mr. Biden questions to protect him from unscripted exchanges that have resulted in mental miscues, misstatements or gaffes. We want to bridge divides to reach everyone. Im told the samosa caucus is now the flavor of the House. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre demurred when pressed by The Washington Times on the lack of joint press conferences. We break them down here. To request an American Sign Language interpreter for your tour, please notify your point of contact in the congressional office that submitted your tour request. Tap to enable a layout that focuses on the article. Travels of the President. student leaders, college and university administrators, researchers, and state, local, territorial and Tribal leaders to share . Among the announcements made on Thursday is an agreement that will allow US-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of US-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones. Dozens of lawmakers had also urged Biden to address the issue of human rights with Modi in a letter on Tuesday, asking the president to raise reports of shrinking of political space, the rise of religious intolerance, the targeting of civil society organisations and journalists and growing restrictions on press freedoms and internet access in India. U.S.-based Micron Technology has agreed to build a $2.75 billion semiconductor assembly and test facility in India, with Micron spending $800 million and India funding the rest. Information on visits to Ukraine by other world leaders were independently verified through official government websites. And that is a point the president has made consistently since he came into office. Modis trip to Washington was just the third official state visit of Bidens presidency, following similar honors for French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a joint news conference and touted a shared commitment to democracy on June 22. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. President Ulysses S. Grant held the first state dinner for King David Kalakaua of Hawaii to strengthen trade. American and French flags are hung on the exterior of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House, Friday, April 20, 2018, in Washington, D.C. Joe Biden will host India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, for an official state visit on 22 June, the White House has announced, as the US works to deepen ties with the world's largest democracy. World leaders are being banished to the less-than-dignified White House driveway to engage reporters because President Biden has abandoned the decades-old tradition of holding joint press conferences when heads of foreign governments visit, which critics say undermines U.S. relations around the globe. Youre supposed to say yes, Ms. Smoot said of responding to the invitations, unless theres a death in the family., Zolan Kanno-Youngs is a White House correspondent covering a range of domestic and international issues in the Biden White House, including homeland security and extremism. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters CNN President Joe Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden will welcome South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee to the White House in late April. Public tour requests are scheduled on a first come, first served basis and must be submitted through a Member of Congress and their Congressional Tour Coordinator. After one Twitter user then called for Obamas arrest for hurting sentiment, the chief minister of the Indian state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, responded by referring to the former presidents middle name, Hussein, falsely suggesting that Obama is Muslim. President Biden and President Emmanuel Macron of France embraced more than a year after the United States and France feuded over a deal to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. Among the major announcements to be made Thursday is an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, according to senior Biden administration officials. Were run by a church, but were not only for church members and were not about converting people. So what we can do is our part, and our part is to speak out on behalf of universal values.. Mr. Biden also lags in overall press conferences with just 24, compared with Mr. Trumps 43, Mr. Obamas 52 and Mr. Bushs 46 at the same point in their presidencies. 10 human rights and democracy organizations, Kamala Harris presses Indias Modi gently on human rights in historic meeting, Ohio abortion rights backers submit nearly double needed signatures for fall ballot measure, Former New York Mayor de Blasio and wife announce separation, but not divorce, Are you two the token Black kids of the department? The snubs and insults that accompanied affirmative action, Congress wants to regulate AI. (Video: Reuters), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was welcomed by the Bidens when he arrived at the White House for a state dinner on June 22. Human rights groups have accused his government of undermining democracy, including by passing a citizenship law that discriminates based on religion and revoking the special autonomous status granted to Indias only Muslim-majority territory, Jammu and Kashmir. He talked to reporters for nearly half an hour on the White House driveway. Even if the scale of the democratic backsliding in India is significantly higher than in the United States, I think the objective for the administration would be not to make it seem like its lecturing India, Kugelman said. And we can prove it.. Times staff writer Tracy Wilkinson contributed to this report. There are multiple times we see presidents using these visits to not just describe immediate concerns, but also to talk through short-term and long-term solutions, Mr. Costello said. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden welcome Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the White House for a private dinner, June 21, 2023, in Washington. 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.. Biden welcomes African leaders for summit as China and Russia - CNN The prospect of strengthening political partnerships overseas and within U.S. borders was usually enough to get a quick response from invitees. Start the day with the top stories from the US, plus the days must-reads from across the Guardian. The administrations feting of Modi stretched into Friday at the State Department, where Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken hosted a luncheon in the Indian leaders honor. Wednesday 5 July 2023 12:10, UK. . German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the White House in March against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war and amid tensions between Berlin and Washington over a tank deal. Biden and Lula Meet at White House, Vowing to Guard Democracy - The New Joe Biden has pronounced the US-India relationship never stronger and rolled out a series of new business deals on the second day of the Indian prime ministers state visit, but Narendra Modis trip has been marked with controversy as many call for Biden to address Indias continuing crackdown on religious and press freedoms. That reporting led to an onslaught of hate mail and social media harassment, but I was able to return home. Announcing Mr. Modi's state visit, the White House press secretary said the occasion would celebrate "the warm bonds of family and friendship that. His government has cracked down on free speech and opponents. The same cant be said for the Indian journalists who have been detained or bullied for scrutinizing the BJP. Our ranger guide took us from the Housechamber upstairs to where the early Senate met. It is hard to get a White House tour but the further in advance you request and the more flexibility you offer in dates, the better you chances. This will be Narendra Modi's first state visit to the US during his nine-year long reign as prime minister. An investigation approved by the Indian Supreme Court later absolved Mr. Modi, but the stain of the dark moment has lingered. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks during the inauguration of . Julianna Smoot, Mr. Obamas social secretary from 2010 to 2011, said she made sure to invite the often-feuding majority and minority leaders of the Senate, Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell, to state dinners for a rare dtente. 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. But youll find in each Monitor news story qualities that can lead to solutions and unite usqualities such as respect, resilience, hope, and fairness. A handful of representatives, including Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, who are Muslim, boycotted Modis address to Congress. An update on major political events, candidates, and parties twice a week. Mariana Alfaro, Gerry Shih, Ellen Nakashima and Samantha Latson contributed to this report. The White House 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. Mr. Modi is to be honored at a State Department luncheon on Friday hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.