Vice President Harris lauds Prime Minister Modi's commitment to bolstering US-India ties

PM Narendra Modi during a luncheon hosted by US Vice-President Kamala Harris (L) and Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R) at the White House in Washington, on June 23, 2023. (PTI Photo)

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his commitment to strengthening US-India ties, as she along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted a luncheon for the Indian leader at the State Department.

Prime Minister Modi is currently in Washington on a state visit at the invitation of President Joe Biden. The two leaders held a historic summit on Thursday. Biden also held a state dinner for him on Thursday.

"Prime Minister Modi, President Joe Biden and I are grateful for your commitment to strengthening the ties...between the United States and India. And we share that commitment under your leadership and that of President Biden our partnership has become more expansive than it has ever been," she said.

Harris said over the past two and a half years she along with Prime Minister Modi advanced cooperation on climate change on clean energy, terrorism, cybercrime, public health and vaccine production.

"And during this trip, our countries have launched new areas of cooperation from artificial intelligence to semiconductors. As we look toward the future, the United States and India, the world's oldest and largest democracies, instinctively turn to each other and are increasingly aligned," Harris said.

Harris also mentioned her mother Shyamala Gopalan, a breast cancer scientist who hailed from Chennai, during her address.

She also spoke about her deep connection to India and her grandfather.

Harris on Thursday said Prime Minister Modi's first State visit to the US will take bilateral ties in areas of space, defence, emerging technology and supply chains to the next level.

"The US-India partnership is stronger than ever. Together, our nations will shape the future as we work to create a more prosperous, secure, and healthy world," Harris' office tweeted.

"The partnership between the United States and India is one of the most important of the 21st century, and this visit will take our partnership to the next level from space to defence, to emerging technology and supply chains," it said.