India, US indispensable to each other after 'beautiful' journey in 9 years: PM Modi

New Delhi, June 24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and the US have been on a very long and beautiful journey for the past nine years while describing the two nations as “indispensable” to each other.

“During my visit in 2014, my dear friend President Biden had referred to the India-America partnership as a promise over the horizon. In nine years since then, we have been on a very long and beautiful journey,” he said at his penultimate engagementthe US State Department luncheon in his honour on Friday, which was hosted by Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“Indeed, in the true sense, the promise over the horizon today is not merely a promise but a reality, and neither is it far over the horizon. Where we stand today, the achievements that we take pride in are all the result of your dreams and your tireless hard work,” he maintained.

Later, speaking at his last engagement with the Indian-American diaspora, the PM expressed happiness that the American government had decided to return more than 100 antiquities purloined from India. “These antiquities of Indian origin had reached the international market through right or wrong paths, but America’s decision to return them to India shows the emotional bond between the two nations,” he said.

He said the meeting with Indian-Americans was like “having a sweet dish after a meal”. In an hour-long address at the Ronald Reagan Centre in Washington DC, he said new US consulates will be opened in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad and the H1B visa renewal can be done in the US itself.

At the luncheon, Harris said India’s history and teachings had influenced and shaped the world. She also lauded the extraordinary impact Indian-Americans had made in the US with a historic number of members of the US Congress being of Indian heritage. Known as the “Samosa Caucus”, Representatives Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, and Shri Thanedar also attended the luncheon.

Harris also made a long, emotional recollection of her journeys to India as a child. “India is a very important part of my life,” she said. The PM also praised Harris, saying she was an inspiration to women across the world. Modi also praised Blinken for his diplomatic skills. “The world knows about your diplomatic skills. There is also a lot of buzz about your musical talent,” he said.