Narendra Modi receives 'rockstar welcome' as he arrives in US for UN address, Quad summit

[caption id=“attachment_9988901” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who flew to the US at President Biden’s invitation to participate in the first in-person summit of Quad leaders, arrived in Washington on Wednesday. This is Prime Minister Modi’s first visit abroad beyond the neighbourhood since the outbreak of coronavirus in January 2020. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_9988911” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Modi received a warm welcome from the members of the Indian community at Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC. He stepped out of his motorcade to interact with the Indians waiting at the airport. The crowd was chanting his name and waving the Indian flag amid light showers. The prime minister was seen smiling and shaking handing with the members of the Indian community. Image Courtesy: @narendramodi/Twitter[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_9988921” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  “We are so excited to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We don’t mind standing in rain. We are excited to meet Prime Minister Modi,” said an Indian-American. Modi, too, took to Twitter to thank all those who had come out to greet him. He wrote, “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.” Image Courtesy: @narendramodi/Twitter[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_9988931” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  The PM, who is visiting the US for the seventh time since assuming office in 2014, said that the visit is an “occasion to strengthen our strategic partnership with the US and consolidate ties with Japan and Australia”. He had added that in his meeting with President Biden, he would review the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Image Courtesy: @narendramodi/Twitter[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_9988941” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  All of Modi’s previous visits had his signature massive meetings with the Indian-American community in particular the one at the Madison Square Garden in 2015, and thereafter the last one was Houston in 2019. However, because of COVID-19 restrictions, no large event for the prime minister is being planned. Image Courtesy: @MEAIndia/Twitter[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_9988951” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Upon his arrival at the airport, he was received by US Department of State officials including T H Brian McKeon, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources at Joint Base Andrews in Washington DC. Prime Minister Modi has a packed agenda over the next three days. President Biden will host Modi at the White House for their first bilateral meeting on 24 September. Later on that day, Biden will host the first-ever in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit with Modi, Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga and Australian prime minister Scott Morrison. Vice President Harris will also meet Prime Minister Modi on 23 September. This will be the first meeting between the two leaders. Image Courtesy: @narendramodi/Twitter[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_9988991” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, along with the Defence attache including Brigadier Anoop Singhal, Air Commodore Anjan Bhadra and naval attache Commodore Nirbhaya Bapna were also at the airport to welcome Modi. Following his engagements in Washington, Prime Minister Modi will then travel to New York to address the ongoing 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly on 24 September. Image Courtesy: @narendramodi/Twitter[/caption] [caption id=“attachment_9989001” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  While flying out from India, Modi had said, “My visit to the US would be an occasion to strengthen the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership with the USA, consolidate relations with our strategic partners – Japan and Australia – and to take forward our collaboration on important global issues.” Image Courtesy: @narendramodi/Twitter[/caption]