PM Modi accorded ceremonial welcome, guard of honor upon arriving at Washington DC

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Washington D.C., June 22: Upon arriving at the Joint Base Andrews in Washington, DC, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was greeted with a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour amidst the drizzling rain.

The national anthems of both countries were played at the airbase to mark his arrival. PM Modi received a bouquet from two young children and he playfully pulled their cheeks.
PM Modi’s Official State visit has moved to its next phase.

“Reached Washington DC. The warmth of the Indian community and the blessings of Indra Devta made the arrival even more special,” PM Modi tweeted (@narendramodi).

Taking to Twitter, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “PM @narendramodi accorded a ceremonial welcome and guard of honour as he sets foot at the Joint Base Andrews airport in Washington DC. In Washington DC, PM will hold bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden ; address the Joint Session of the US Congress; and interact with CEOs and a cross-section of Indian diaspora.”

After performing a special Yoga session on the lawns of the United Nations headquarters in New York City, PM Modi landed at Joint Base Andrews, on the eve of his June 22 State Visit with President Biden, and his address to the Joint Session of Congress, and the State Dinner.

Prime Minister Modi was again greeted by community members when he arrived at the Willard InterContinental hotel in Washington DC, where he will be staying.

The hotel echoed with slogans like “Bharat Mata ki Jai,” “Modi, Modi,” and “Matram Matram, Vande Matram,” as people enthusiastically cheered for the Prime Minister. Children and their parents eagerly waved their hands to greet him upon his arrival, with some kids holding placards that said “Welcome PM Modi to Washington DC.”

The Prime Minister also playfully interacted with the children, touching one child’s nose and blessing a few others.

One woman of Indian origin said, “I am really happy that I got this opportunity to see PM Modi in person. It is a pleasure to be here. It was a great experience to see him.”
Other Indians also expressed their excitement.

“I am very glad to see his (PM Modi) presence in Washington, DC. He gave me a high five and signed my shirt. It is a memorable moment, I will never forget this,” said a young member of the Indian diaspora. Another said PM Modi had signed his placards.

This visit “just shows the incredible amount of commitment that Modi has put towards furthering India and America relationships and is doing amazing things for both countries. And I really hope that the world benefits from this friendship,” he added.

Outside the hotel, the people were seen playing the drums.

Modi would be the first Indian Prime Minister to address a joint session of the United States Congress twice while in D.C.. On June 23, the Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In addition to official engagements, the Prime Minister is scheduled to have several curated interactions with leading CEOs, professionals, and other stakeholders. He will also meet members of the Indian Diaspora.

Business leaders of 20 top American companies and a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders from around the US, were invited to the John F Kennedy Center in Washington. Among them were heads of Mastercard, Accenture, the Coca-Cola Company, Adobe Systems and Visa.

A reception at the Hall of Nations Terrace (Kennedy Center) followed. Some of the important names there included Shantanu Narayen, Chief Executive Officer of Adobe Systems; Julie Sweet CEO of Accenture; Ryan McInerney CEO of Visa Inc, Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard; and James Quincey, CEO of Coca Cola.

(Updated June 27, 2023)