PM Modi Thanks Biden for White House Hospitality

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (local time) thanked US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden for hosting him at the White House. PM Modi noted that they held "great conversation" on several subjects.

Taking to his official Twitter handle, PM Modi stated, "I thank @POTUS @JoeBiden and @FLOTUS @DrBiden for hosting me at the White House today. We had a great conversation on several subjects."

US President Biden on Wednesday (local time) welcomed PM Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House, a day before the high-profile state dinner. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and Deputy Chief of Protocol Aseem Vohra also attended the dinner, which featured the President's favourite foods - pasta and ice cream.

During the dinner, the trio enjoyed a musical tribute to the regions of India, performed by youth dancers from Studio Dhoom, a DMV-based Indian dance studio that helps connect a new generation to the vibrant culture of Indian dance, according to the White House.

The leaders also exchanged gifts at the White House. PM Modi presented a special sandalwood box to US President Biden that has been handcrafted by a master craftsman from Jaipur, Rajasthan. He also gifted a lab-grown 7.5-carat green diamond and 'papier mache' to US First Lady Jill Biden.

Joe Biden and Jill Biden presented PM Modi with a handmade, antique American book galley from the early 20th Century. Biden also gifted a vintage American camera, accompanied by an archival facsimile print of George Eastman's Patent of the first Kodak camera, and a hardcover book of American wildlife photography. Jill Biden gifted a signed, first-edition copy of "Collected Poems of Robert Frost" to PM Modi.

Joe Biden and Jill Biden received PM Modi at the White House in Washington DC on his arrival for the second leg of his official state visit. PM Modi's motorcade pulled up in the South Portico around 7:36 pm (local time). The camaraderie between leaders was visible as they were seen laughing and engaged in conversation.

Prior to the dinner at the White House, PM Modi met Gary E Dickerson, the President and CEO of Applied Materials, Sanjay Mehrotra, President-CEO of Micron Technology and H Lawrence Culp Jr, Chairman and CEO, of General Electic and CEO of General Electic Aerospace.

Upon his arrival in Washington DC, PM Modi started his day by attending the 'Skilling for Future' event. During his visit to the US, PM Modi will attend the state dinner on Thursday which US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are hosting. He will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on the same day.

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. Later on, he will meet business leaders of 20 top American companies and is also expected to address a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders.