Washington. President Joe Biden courted the world’s most populous nation with a grand welcome for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as state guest to the US. At a meeting in Washington on Thursday, Biden and Modi agreed on several economic and military agreements and vowed a partnership between the two countries.

The Biden administration is aggressively seeking to tie India in tighter as a major player in the Indo-Pacific and on the international stage. However, many politicians from the US Congress expressed concern about the human rights situation in India. Modi considers this baseless.

Biden: “Two great friends, two great powers”

Biden said he was “confident that the United States-India relationship will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century.” It is about “two great countries, two great friends, two great powers” that can determine the direction of this century. The US and India must “work together and take common leadership” to face the challenges of this century.

Shortly before Modi’s visit, the US government had announced new partnerships, such as the US sale of the MQ-9B armed drone to New Delhi, US investment in semiconductor production in India, and new cooperation in aerospace and technology. Biden now says that Indian companies have also announced investments of more than two billion dollars (1.82 billion euros) in the United States. “Our trade relationship is growing,” he stressed. The partnership between the two countries has “unlimited potential”.

(Almost) a vegetarian country banquet

Biden welcomed Modi to the White House with a formal ceremony. The prime minister of India then addressed both houses of the US Congress, in which he praised, among other things, the rise of his country. India is now the fifth largest economy in the world and accounts for one sixth of the world’s population. “As India grows, the rest of the world grows,” he said.

For the culinary highlight, Biden was invited to an almost entirely vegetarian state banquet. Nearly 400 guests – including ministers, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege – arrived at the specially decorated White House. In honor of the vegetarian Modi, an almost entirely plant-based menu was planned. Marinated millet and grilled corn salad will start as a starter, followed by portobello mushrooms stuffed with saffron risotto and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake for dessert. Apart from that, there is also grilled sea bass as main course.

In contrast to ordinary working visits, state visits are accompanied by special formal celebrations, such as state banquets. Modi is only the third foreign guest to receive this honor during Biden’s tenure. French President Emmanuel Macron made a state visit to the United States last December. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol followed in late April.

India has overtaken China as the most populous country. With around 1.4 billion people, it is also the world’s largest democracy and has growing political and economic influence, especially in the Indo-Pacific. The Biden administration is trying to counter China’s attempts to seize control of the region and is therefore significantly promoting partnerships with other countries in the region, including the so-called quadruple alliance with India, Japan and Australia.

criticism in an open letter

The fact that Biden rolled out the red carpet for India’s prime minister in this way also drew criticism. Modi of the Hindu nationalist BJP has been the country’s prime minister since 2014. During his tenure, India dropped several places in rankings on democracy and press freedom. Critics have complained that religious minorities are discriminated against in the Hindu-majority country.

Prior to Modi’s visit, more than 70 US politicians from the House of Representatives and Senate had expressed concern about the human rights situation in India and Biden on one occasion. Open letter encouraged to address this issue at the meeting. They warn that there are worrying signs that political rights and freedom of expression are curtailed in India, that religious intolerance towards minorities is increasing and press freedom is suffering. The White House said earlier that the President would not shy away from this difficult issue. Individual lawmakers also want to boycott Modi’s speeches to Congress because of the concerns.

Modi: “Democracy is in our DNA”

Biden said in a joint press appearance with Modi that the two had intensively exchanged views on democratic values. “We are open to each other and we respect each other.” Modi, who usually does not answer journalists’ questions at home, dismissed criticism of India’s human rights situation in Washington. “Democracy is in our DNA. Democracy is our passion. Democracy runs in our veins,” he said, asserting that there is “absolutely no discrimination” in India, whether based on caste, creed or anything else.

Another difficult issue between the two countries is Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. India has so far taken a neutral stance on this and has not supported Western sanctions. The country has good relations with Western countries and Russia, which is heavily dependent on its military equipment. During the war, India also started buying more oil from Russia.

The US, on the other hand, is Ukraine’s closest ally in the conflict and is at the forefront of the international alliance against Russia. Modi reiterated that India’s focus is on resolving the Ukraine conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. “We stand ready to help restore peace in any way we can.”