Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to the United States in June for a bilateral summit with President Barack Obama. Modi may also address a joint session of the US Congress.
The Hindu reported that, an official of the U.S State Department said that, the top leaders will discuss the issued including, ocean economy, cyber security, space cooperation and nuclear commerce. Mr Modi is also expected to visit the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during his visit in June.
Mukesh Aghi, President of the US-India Business Council, said that, “This will be President Obama's way of saying that he cares for India. There have been unresolved issues, but President Obama clearly values relations with India and hosting PM Modi for a bilateral summit is a clear indication of that.”
Ed Royce, the Chairman of the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot Engel, the Ranking Democratic member, Dr Amerish 'Ami' Bera and Representatives George Holding wrote to House Speaker Paul Ryan that Mr Modi’s visit must be used as an “opportunity for Congress to hear directly from the prime minister.”
“We hope Prime Minister Modi will accept our invitation to address a joint session of Congress. During his earlier visits the schedules could not match. This time it looks possible," Mr Holding said.
“ We ask that you invite Prime Minister Modi to address a Joint Meeting of Congress. This renewed partnership has found champions in the leadership of both parties, including both President Clinton and President George W Bush, and has been further emboldened in the United States by a strong, proud, and growing Indian-American Diaspora,” the Congressmen said.
“Our two countries have signed a defence framework agreement to increase military cooperation and the civilian nuclear agreement, signed in 2008, will result in the construction of nuclear power plants in India,” they added.
Richard M. Rossow, Wadhwani Chair in U.S. India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that, “There are a few key areas where we may see "deliverables" during the summit. First, there remains a dangerous gap between our high-level views on global economic issues, particularly trade. While a leaders summit may not be able to bridge the divide over issues at the World Trade Organization, or develop a roadmap to induct India into a trade grouping, it offers another chance for our leaders to re-dedicate themselves to make real progress on our long-stalled negotiations over a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT).”
“We may also see the first project agreement for civilian nuclear power development. A third tangible deliverable may be the signing of our Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Understanding (LEMOA), for which there was "in principle" agreement during Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's recent visit to India.”
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