G20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered an inaugural address at the two-day G20 Summit in New Delhi and welcomed world leaders prior to that at the Bharat Mandapam where the mega event is taking place.
Several world leaders including US President Joe Biden, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak among others are taking part in the G20 Summit in New Delhi which has grabbed the eyeballs of the entire world.
Biden arrived in New Delhi on Friday evening for the Summit and held a bilateral with PM Modi at the latter’s residence at Lok Kalyan Marg.
With Joe Biden’s arrival in the Indian capital city of New Delhi, Modi became the only Prime Minister in India to have hosted three American presidents during his tenure. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Sinigh had hosted two US presidents – George Bush (March 1-3, 2006) and Barack Obama (November 6-9, 2010) during his 10-year rule at the Centre from 2004 to 2014.
India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru had hosted US President Dwight D Eisenhower (December 9-14, 1959) for the first time. After him, Indira Gandhi hosted Richard Nixon (July 31-August 1, 1969). Morarji Desai hosted Jimmy Carter (January 1-3, 1978). Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee then hosted Bill Clinton (March 19-25, 2000).
PM Modi, since taking over the office in 2014, has hosted three US presidents in a historic first – Barack Obama (January 24-27, 2015), Donald Trump (February 24-25, 2020), and Joe Biden (September 7-10, 2023).
Manmohan Singh hosts Bush
The visit of then US President George W Bush to India between March 1 to 3 2006 proved to be historic for India as the Manmohan Singh government signed a US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement. Bush’s visit marked the beginning of the end of India’s ‘nuclear apartheid’ as the two countries signed the nuclear deal.
Singh hosts Obama
Then US President Barack Obama visited India from November 6 to 9, 2010, and met then President Pratibha Patil and PM Manmohan Singh. He also addressed the Indian Parliament. He also participated in the US-India Business Council & Entrepreneurship Summit in Mumbai.
According to the White House, Office of the Press Secretary, in the Joint Statement by Obama and Singh on November 8, the leaders welcomed the deepening relationship between the world’s two largest democracies. They reaffirmed that India-U.S. strategic partnership is indispensable not only for their two countries but also for global stability and prosperity in the 21st century. Obama welcomed India’s emergence as a major regional and global power and affirmed his country’s interest in India’s rise.
PM Modi takes over office in 2014, hosts Obama next year
Prime Minister Modi hosted Barack Obama the very next year after taking over the office in 2014. Obama was the chief guest at Republic Day celebration. With this, he also became the first US president to visit India twice while in office.
During his visit, he announced a breakthrough in the nuclear deal as the pact was agreed upon earlier in 2008, however, was stalled for six years due to the differences over the liability the US companies would face in India.
PM Modi hosts Donald Trump for ‘Namaste Trump’ ahead of US presidential polls
Donald Trump, who was on his maiden visit to India, accompanied by his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, son-in-law Jared Kushner and several top officials had visited Ahmedabad, Agra, and New Delhi on February 24-25, 2020.
He had spent three hours in Ahmedabad on February 24 during which he attended a 22-km-long roadshow, visited the Sabarmati Ashram, and addressed a huge gathering ‘Namaste Trump’ with PM Modi at the Motera Cricket Stadium.
Donald Trump later visited Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. He visited New Delhi on February 25 to hold bilateral talks with PM Modi.
PM Modi hosts Joe Biden for G20 Summit
As Joe Biden touched down in New Delhi, PM Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to host three US Presidents while in office.
He held bilateral talks with Biden at his residence. The two leaders met again ahead of the commencement of the G20 Summit today where PM Modi received him at Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the mega event in New Delhi. In light moments during their brief interaction, the Prime Minister was seen explaining to Biden the significance of Odisha’s Konark wheel which was the background of the place where PM Modi stood to receive the incoming leaders.
US President and PM Modi on Friday exuded confidence that the outcomes of the G20 Summit will advance the shared goals of accelerating sustainable development, bolstering multilateral cooperation and building consensus around inclusive economic policies to address the greatest global challenges. In their over 50-minute talks, Modi and Biden vowed to “deepen and diversify” the bilateral major defence partnership while welcoming forward movement in India’s procurement of 31 drones and joint development of jet engines.
