Honour that awaits PM Modi in US, only few have got in past, says EAM Jaishankar

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, Union External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday said that the honour that the Prime Minister will get there, only a few have got in the past.

Speaking to the media here while travelling in a bus, Jaisdhankar said, "The Prime Minister will be on a state visit to the US. State visit means it is the highest level in terms of honour."

He said, "The respect that the Prime Minister gets, only a few people have been given in the past."

The Minister asserted that in an unprecedented move, an Indian Prime Minister will address the US Congress for the second time. "Earlier, eminent people like Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill have addressed the US Congress twice or more. That is the reason why its importance is huge," he added.

Jaishankar, along with Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva, LoP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri took the Vikas Tirath Yatra in south Delhi by travelling in a bus.

Prime Minister Modi will be visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The visit includes a state dinner as well as an address to the Joint Session of the Congress on June 22.

Modi's state visit to the US will commence in New York, where the Prime Minister will lead celebrations marking the International Day of Yoga at the UN headquarters on June 21.