PM Modi to embark on two-day ‘working visit’ to US from February 12 to meet President Trump

PM to meet US President Trump next week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will pay a two-day “working visit” to the US from February 12 during which he will meet President Donald Trump, India’s External Affairs Ministry on Friday announced. Addressing a press conference, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Modi’s visit will give further impetus and direction to the India-US bilateral relationship.

What is a Working Visit? – There is a difference between a State Visit and a Working Visit.

A State Visit is a formal visit by the head of a sovereign country (or representative of the head of a sovereign country) to another sovereign country, at the invitation of the head of state (or representative) of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. State Visits are considered to be the highest expression of friendly bilateral relations between two sovereign states, and are in general characterized by an emphasis on official public ceremonies.

Less formal visits than a State Visit to another country with a lesser emphasis on ceremonial events, by either a head of state (their representative) or a head of government, can be classified (in descending order of magnitude) as either an official visit, an Official Working Visit, a Working Visit, a guest-of-government visit, or a private visit.

Prior to his US visit, Modi will be in France from February 10-12 to co-chair the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron. He will also visit Cadarache, the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor of which India is a partner, Misri said. “This will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi to the United States since the inauguration of the second presidential term of US President Donald Trump,” he said.

“The fact that the Prime Minister has been invited to visit the US within barely three weeks of the new administration taking office shows the importance of the India-US partnership and is also reflective of the bipartisan support this partnership enjoys in the US,” the Foreign Secretary said.

During his visit to France from February 10-12, Modi and Macron will also address the India-France CEOs forum. Prime Minister Modi and Macron will travel to Marseille where they will inaugurate the Consulate General of India. The leaders will also visit the war cemetery and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by Indian soldiers in World War 1. Modi and Macron will visit Cadarache, the site of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).

Misri said there has been a very close rapport between Trump and Modi, dating back to the US leader’s first term. “There is a clear convergence of interests between the two countries in several areas, including trade, investment, technology, defense cooperation, counterterrorism, Indo-Pacific security, and people-to-people relations,” he said.

“The 5.4 million-strong Indian community in the US and the more than 350,000 Indian students pursuing higher education in American universities further strengthen this bond,” he said. “The Prime Minister’s visit to the United States will provide further direction and momentum to this important partnership. We expect a joint statement to be adopted at the end of the visit, which will be shared in due course,” the Foreign Secretary said.

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