Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited US President Joe Biden to be the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday.
“US President Joe Biden has been invited to the January 26 Republic Day celebrations by PM Modi, during the bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit,” said US Ambassador Eric Garcetti.
The US ambassador was asked at an event about the reports that India is considering inviting leaders of the Quad nations to grace the Republic Day celebrations.
US President Biden was invited to the Republic Day celebrations by Prime Minister Modi during the bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Garcetti said.
Garcetti said the invitation was extended to Biden by PM Modi on the sidelines of the bilateral that took place between the two leaders at the recently concluded G20 Summit.
During this, India and the US also settled the seventh and last outstanding World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute.
Notably, the six previous disputes were resolved during PM Modi’s state visit to the US.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed United States President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to India today, reaffirming the close and enduring partnership between India and the United States. The leaders expressed their appreciation for the substantial progress underway to implement the ground breaking achievements of Prime Minister Modi’s historic, June 2023, visit to Washington,” the India-US joint statement read.The two leaders called on their governments to continue the work of transforming the India-US Strategic Partnership across all dimensions of our multifaceted global agenda, based on trust and mutual understanding.
After the meeting, both the leaders lauded the India-US relations and said that the friendship between the two nations will continue to play a great role in furthering global good.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day celebrations.
Every year, India invites world leaders to attend its Republic Day celebrations. There was no Republic Day Chief guest in 2021 and 2022 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the then Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest.
In 2019, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was the chief guest at the parade, while in 2018, leaders of all 10 ASEAN countries attended the celebrations.
In 2017, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the chief guest at celebrations, while the then French President Francois Hollande graced the occasion in 2016.
In 2015, the then US President Barack Obama watched the parade.
In 2014, the then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the chief guest at the celebrations, while Bhutan king Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck attended the parade in 2013.
*With Agency Inputs
