Hopes high in Washington ahead of Indian leader's state visit

2023-06-21 15:16:10, Kosova & Bota CNA

India's leader, Narendra Modi, is being given a grand reception this week by the White House. He and President Joe Biden have many issues to discuss — including relations with China, the conflict in Ukraine and bilateral relations. As "Voice of America" ??correspondent Anita Powell reports, hopes are high that Washington and New Delhi will make progress in important areas.

India's leader is being treated like an important statesman as he comes to the United States for a lavish state visit with stops in New York, the Oval Office and a joint session of Congress.

Senior US diplomat Antony Blinken says the two countries have a special bond. Both are also very concerned about China's increased military ambitions, and India has clashed with China along their shared border.

"We see this relationship as a unique one between the world's oldest and largest democracies, with a particular aim now to demonstrate that our governments can deliver and empower all our citizens."

On the table are serious discussions about India's most powerful rival, China; for the war in Ukraine and for strategic technological partnerships in the field of defense, energy and space.

Analyst Rick Rossow says from conversations he's had with White House officials ahead of the visit, it appears expectations are high.

"They think there are many areas where there can be concrete results that would take the relationship to a new level. And many of them are focused on the defense sector, as well as on new technologies critical to development. I think those will be the two areas where we'll probably see most of the deal announcements."

Both countries have different views on some important issues.

Notable among them is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reluctance to condemn Russia, which is India's main source of oil and arms.

"The Biden administration has been willing to ignore or gloss over this fact. There are many who say that India should support the United States and its partners in the event of an invasion of Taiwan - India has avoided any kind of support on this issue because India would not want to be involved. So there are areas where the parties have different opinions, but the Biden administration has tried to minimize these differences, somewhat, and focus mainly on areas where they agree or are on the same page," says Aparna Pande with the Hudson Institute.

Then comes the delicate issue of human rights. Human Rights Watch says Mr Modi's respect for civil and political rights has "deteriorated markedly" in recent years. The White House says human rights are always part of diplomatic discussions, but will President Biden address this sensitive topic?

"This is an issue that will most likely be handled privately, behind the scenes, by the president. I don't think they will focus too much on this issue because they want to make sure that the positive areas of the relationship are not hindered by, any statement about human rights concerns in India. But I think this issue will be aired privately," says analyst Richard Rossow with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

President Biden will host a state dinner on Thursday — and in honor of their vegetarian visitor, the White House has brought in a celebrity chef who specializes in plant-based cooking./ VOA