US India’s vital partner, says PM

To address UN Assembly today

New York: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Friday on a five-day visit to the US, holding out an assurance that India is "open and friendly" for business and innovations.

Modi, 64, flew into New York's JFK airport on a special Air India Boeing plane on the first leg of his maiden visit to the US as Prime Minister after a nearly nine-hour flight from Frankfurt where he had an overnight halt.

As he seeks to hardsell India as a sound investment destination and mend ties with the US after a bitter diplomatic row last year, Modi asserted that the two countries have a fundamental stake and many shared interests in each other's success. He described the US as a vital partner of India.

Ahead of his arrival, Modi said he was looking forward to meeting President Barack Obama in Washington over two days from September 29 on the second and final leg of his visit. This will be the first meeting between the leaders of the world's two largest democracies. The Prime Minister, who has a power-packed schedule, both in New York and Washington, with nearly 50 engagements, is due to deliver his maiden address to the UN General Assembly(UNGA) on Saturday during his three-day stay in New York.

Giving an insight into his UN address, Modi said he would call for a stronger global commitment and more concerted multilateral action in addressing challenges of fragile global economy, turbulence and tension in many parts of the world and growth and spread of terrorism.

Modi had said he would discuss with Obama how Indo-US ties could be taken to a "new level" in the interest of the two countries as well as of the world. He had also called the US as India's "vital partner" for its national development. Obama will host a rare private dinner for Modi at the White House on September 29, so as to establish a personal relationship with the Indian leader ahead of summit talks the next day.The Prime Minister is expected to have only tea and lemonade at the dinner as his US visit coincides with the Navratri fast which he religiously observes every year.

Meanwhile, the Indian diaspora in the US is willing to go to any extent to watch Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address at Madison Square Garden here on Sunday with several people who were denied the most sought after ticket now willing to be volunteers. "I was not there at the time of Swami Vivekananda. I did not see Sardar Patel. I do not want to miss the chance of seeing or watching live the greatest leaders of India of our times," Palak Jain, an Atlanta-based software engineer said.