PM Modi to take media questions with Joe Biden, White House calls it 'big deal'
President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver remarks and take questions from journalists on Thursday during the Indian leader’s state visit, an event a senior White House official called a “big deal”.
FollowIn a very rare move, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take limited questions from journalists in the United States after delivering remarks with US President Joe Biden. The White House's spokesperson on national security, John Kirby, said: "We are really glad that Prime Minister Modi is taking part in a press event at the conclusion of the visit. We think that's important and we're glad he thinks that's important too." The format of the press conference will include one question from the US press and one from an Indian journalist, Kirby said.
As reported by PTI, Modi and Biden are scheduled to address a news conference together from the East Room of the White House.
Prime Minister Modi rarely takes questions from the media, except for occasional one-on-one interviews. Press conferences held by the White House with other international leaders reportedly follow strict guidelines.
According to the White House, the two leaders will discuss ways to improve educational exchanges and fortify interpersonal ties during their meeting. Additionally, they will work together to solve issues including employment development, health security, and climate change.
PM Modi is on a state visit to the US, a rare honour the superpower reserves for its closest allies. The prime minister travelled from New York to Washington after presiding over a historic celebration of the 9th International Day of Yoga at the UN headquarters earlier in the day. UN representatives, diplomats, and notable figures were there.
Modi's address to the joint meeting of the US Congress will mark a significant achievement, as he will become only the third world leader, apart from those from Israel, to have delivered such an address on two occasions. Winston Churchill in 1941, 1943, and 1952 and Nelson Mandela in 1990 and 1994 are the only two leaders that have done so.
