Finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama came face to face. The occasion was dinner hosted by Obama at the White House in the honour of Modi.
Finally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama came face to face. The occasion was dinner hosted by Obama at the White House in the honour of Modi.
Modi and Obama sat down under a gilded chandelier in the antique-festooned Blue Room of the White House, in a group of 20 officials of both sides, also including Secretary of State John Kerry and Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj.
The dinner, prepared under supervision of First Lady Michelle Obama, had all the things which Modi could eat during his ‘nakkoda’ fasts. However, Michelle gave the dinner a miss. The Indian Embassy in the US tweeted a snapshot of the dinner menu for the Indian PM.
Dinner Menu @WhiteHouse on September 29 pic.twitter.com/8KAF5MXnyC
— Embassy of India US (@IndianEmbassyUS) September 30, 2014
Interestingly, PM Modi continued his fast and took only warm water and continued his fast while President Obama enjoyed the dinner with other dignitaries.
Modi gifted Obama a special edition of Bhagavad Geeta, which was an interpretation by Mahatma. Among the other ‘special gifts’ that Modi gave Obama was also an AIR recording of Martin Luther King’s speech in India, as PM Modi was aware of Obama’s great respect for King.
PM Modi laid out his hopes and aspirations for India in terms of development and also told President Obama about how he felt the US could help in the discussion that lasted 90 minutes. Later, Prime Minister Modi tweeted about his interaction with President Obama:
With President @BarackObama. We had a wonderful meeting and talked about a wide range of issues. pic.twitter.com/MRDjEjujCn
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 30, 2014
Both President @BarackObama & I share a vision for a partnership in which our nations work together for the benefit of the entire humankind.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 30, 2014
At the same time, India and the United States released a statement called “Chalein saath, saath – Forward Together We Go” with the intent to forge a partnership that will be a model for the rest of the world.
The statement interestingly came ahead of the Modi-Obama talks in the Oval Office which are scheduled today. The full text of the statement is at the end of the article.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Syed Akbaruddin has confirmed that both the leaders will pen down a joint editorial in a leading US journal. However, he declined to reveal the name of the publication.
Reportedly, Responding to a question from one of the journalists at the briefing on how the two worked on the editorial given that they had only met each other for the first time hours ago, Akbaruddin said that since fortunately both believed in ‘digital diplomacy’, they had communicated via digital means to write it.
“It was only confirmed this evening, which was why we didn’t say anything about it before”, Akbaruddin said.
Full text of the statement:
“Chalein Saath Saath: Forward Together We Go”
Chalein Saath Saath, forward together we go. As leaders of two great democratic nations with diverse traditions and faiths, we share a vision for a partnership in which the United States and India work together, not just for the benefit of both our nations, but for the benefit of the world.
We have vastly different histories, but both our founders sought to guarantee freedoms that allow our citizens to determine their own destiny and pursue their personal aspirations. Our strategic partnership rests on our shared mission to provide equal opportunity for our people through democracy and freedom.
The currents of kinship and commerce, scholarship and science tie our countries together. They allow us to rise above differences by maintaining the long-term perspective. Every day, in myriad ways, our cooperation fortifies a relationship that matches the innumerable ties between our peoples, who have produced works of art and music, invented cutting-edge technology, and responded to crises across the globe.
Our strategic partnership is a joint endeavor for prosperity and peace. Through intense consultations, joint exercises, and shared technology, our security cooperation will make the region and the world safe and secure. Together, we will combat terrorist threats and keep our homelands and citizens safe from attacks, while we respond expeditiously to humanitarian disasters and crises. We will prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and remain committed to reducing the salience of nuclear weapons, while promoting universal, verifiable, and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament.
We will support an open and inclusive rules-based global order, in which India assumes greater multilateral responsibility, including in a reformed United Nations Security Council. At the United Nations and beyond, our close coordination will lead to a more secure and just world.
Climate change threatens both our countries, and we will join together to mitigate its impact and adapt to our changing environment. We will address the consequences of unchecked pollution through cooperation by our governments, science and academic communities. We will partner to ensure that both countries have affordable, clean, reliable, and diverse sources of energy, including through our efforts to bring American-origin nuclear power technologies to India.
We will ensure that economic growth in both countries brings better livelihoods and welfare for all of our people. Our citizens value education as a means to a better life, and our exchange of skills and knowledge will propel our countries forward. Even the poorest will share in the opportunities in both our countries.
Joint research and collaboration in every aspect-ranging from particles of creation to outer space — will produce boundless innovation and high technology collaboration that changes our lives. Open markets, fair and transparent practices will allow trade in goods and services to flourish.
Our people will be healthier as we jointly counter infectious diseases, eliminate maternal and child deaths, and work to eradicate poverty for all. And they will be safer as we ensure the fullest empowerment of women in a secure environment.
The United States and India commit to expand and deepen our strategic partnership in order to harness the inherent potential of our two democracies and the burgeoning ties between our people, economies, and businesses. Together we seek a reliable and enduring friendship that bolsters security and stability, contributes to the global economy, and advances peace and prosperity for our citizens and throughout the world.
We have a vision that the United States and India will have a transformative relationship as trusted partners in the 21st century. Our partnership will be a model for the rest of the world.
