• Source:JND
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PRIME Minister Narendra Modi will go on an official state visit to the United States on June 22. In a press statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs, PM Moid said he will be hosted by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House during his visit.

The statement by MEA also said that the visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the United States, as the two nations are already collaborating across sectors.

Meanwhile, a statement released by the White House read, "President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India for an Official State Visit to the United States, which will include a state dinner, on June 22, 2023."

"The visit will strengthen the two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space," the statement added.

Notably, for PM Modi, this will be his first state visit to the US in his nine-year tenure as Prime Minister. The last state visit by an Indian was by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2009.

What Are State Visits?

A state visit is a formal visit by the head of state of one country to the head of state of another country. It is the highest level of international visit, and the purpose of this visit is to develop good relationships between the countries concerned. For the United States, state visits can only occur on the invitation of the president of the US, acting in their capacity as the head of state.

The US State Visit

The state visits are usually a few days long and comprise a number of ceremonies. According to The Indian Express, the ceremonies included in the US are a flight line ceremony (where the visiting head of state is greeted at the tarmac after landing), a 21-gun salute White House arrival ceremony, a White House dinner, the exchange of diplomatic gifts, an invitation to stay at the Blair House (the US President’s guesthouse across the Pennsylvania Avenue) and flag streetlining.

Difference Between A Normal And State Visits

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has visited the USA multiple times during his tenure, but none of them were state visits. However, his recent visit will be a state visit. Every visit cannot be considered a state visit because state visits are the highest-ranked category of foreign visits with great ceremonial importance and are considered the highest expression of friendly bilateral relations between countries. According to US diplomatic policy, as quoted by The Indian Express, less important visits are classified as official visits, official working visits, working visits, guest-of-government visits, and private visits. For different visits, different protocols are followed. The striking difference between a state visit and others is that a state visit is made in sovereign capacity, with only the head of state/ head of government in parliamentary democracies allowed to make the visits. In other types of visits, other important leaders are included, including crown princes, vice presidents, and ceremonial heads of state, among others.