The White House on Monday reassured the international community that India remains a vibrant democracy, dismissing concerns about the health of democratic institutions in the country. The statement came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for an upcoming state visit to the United States later this month.
During a news conference in Washington, John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council, emphasised India’s democratic strength.
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“India is a vibrant democracy. Anybody that, you know, happens to go to New Delhi can see that for themselves. And certainly, I would expect that strength and health of democratic institutions will be part of the discussion,” Kirby stated, highlighting the importance of democratic values, reported news agency PTI.
Responding to a question, Kirby further said that open dialogue between allies is crucial. “Look, we never shy away. And you can do that with friends. You’re supposed to do that with friends. You never shy away from expressing concerns that we might have with anyone around the world,” he explained. However, he clarified that the primary focus of the state visit is to enhance the existing partnership and friendship between the two nations.
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Kirby underscored the strong partnership between India and the United States across various domains. “You saw that in Shangri-La Secretary (of Defense, Lloyd) Austin announced some further defence cooperation now that we’re going to pursue with India. Of course, there’s an awful lot of economic trade between our two countries. India is a member of the Pacific Quad and a key friend and partner with respect to Indo-Pacific security,” he stated, highlighting the multifaceted relationship between the two nations.
“I could go on and on and on. There are innumerable reasons why India matters, not just bilaterally between the two of our nations, but multilaterally on many levels. And the president is looking forward very much to having Prime Minister Modi here to talk about all those issues and to advance and deepen that partnership and that friendship,” Kirby stated.
The US continues to affirm its commitment to nurturing a robust partnership with India, both diplomatically and economically. Prime Minister Modi’s visit is expected to deepen the ties and foster a stronger relationship between the two nations moving forward, Kirby added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the United States from June 21 to 24 on a state visit. This would be his first visit categorised as a state visit, the highest-ranked visit according to diplomatic protocol, by the Prime Minister in his nine-year tenure. He has, however, been to the US multiple times during his tenure.