As the curtain falls on 2023, India’s global stature stands tall, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A diplomatic odyssey unfolded, with the G20 summit emerging as the jewel in India’s diplomatic crown for the year.
In a symphony of statesmanship, PM Modi’s journeys to the United States, France, Japan, and beyond became chapters of diplomatic finesse. Each foreign sojourn wove a narrative of strengthened bonds, portraying India as a global anchor and its leader as a statesman of significance.
Here are five of PM Modi’s international journeys that unraveled a diplomatic blitzkrieg, painting a canvas where India’s influence echoed across borders.
1 – PM Modi US visit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the US on an official State visit from 20 to 24 June at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
The Prime Minister’s visit commenced in New York, where, on 21 June, he led the celebrations of the International Day of Yoga at the United Nations Headquarters.
On 22 June, PM Modi received a ceremonial welcome at the White House and held discussions with Biden during a state dinner hosted in his honour.
PM Modi also addressed a joint session of the US Congress, becoming only the third world leader ever to make such address twice. PM Modi, had earlier addressed the US Congress in 2016 during the Barack Obama administration.
Also, PM Modi became the first Indian leader to address the joint meeting of the US Congress for the second time.
US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken also jointly hosted a luncheon for PM Modi.
During his US visit, PM Modi met with CEO of Tesla Inc and X (formerly known as Twitter) Elon Musk and appreciated his efforts at making technology accessible and affordable in various sectors.
PM Modi also invited Musk to explore opportunities in India for investments in electric mobility and rapidly expanding commercial space sector.
The Prime Minister met CEO of Alphabet Inc. and Google, Sundar Pichai and also invited him to explore further avenues of collaboration in the domains of Artificial Intelligence (AI); fintech; cybersecurity products and services; as well as mobile device manufacturing in India. They also discussed collaboration between Google and academic institutions in India to promote R&D and skill development.
The Indian Prime Minister even met President and CEO of Boeing, David L. Calhoun and discussed Boeing’s greater presence in the aviation sector in India, including in the domain of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of aircrafts.
PM Modi also invited Boeing to invest in the Space manufacturing sector in India.
The Indian leader also met President and CEO of Amazon, Andrew R. Jassy and discussed on the area of e-commerce. They also discussed the potential of further collaboration with Amazon in the logistics sector in India.
The Prime Minister welcomed Amazon’s initiative of promoting digitisation of MSMEs in India.
2 – PM Modi visit to France
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on a visit to Paris on 13 and 14 July on the invitation of President of France Emmanuel Macron. PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade on 14 July, where a tri-services India armed forces contingent also participated.
PM Modi’s France visit held a special significance as the year 2023 marks the 25th anniversary of the India – France Strategic Partnership.
PM Modi was also conferred with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, France’s highest award by Emmanuel Macron. The award ceremony took place at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
The Indian leader also held formal talks with President Macron who hosted a State Banquet as well as a private dinner in honour of PM Modi.
3 – PM Modi visit to UAE
After wrapping up his France visit, PM Modi on 15 July was in Abu Dhabi to hold talks with UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Both the leaders held wide ranging discussions covering various dimensions of the bilateral partnership, including trade and investment, fintech, energy, renewables, climate action, higher education and people to people ties. The discussions also covered regional and global issues.
PM Modi and UAE President witnessed the exchange of three significant documents including MoU between RBI and UAE Central Bank for the establishment of a framework to promote the use of local currencies (INR – AED) for cross-border transactions, MoU between RBI and UAE Central Bank for the bilateral cooperation on interlinking their payment and messaging systems, and MoU between Ministry of of Education of India, Department of Education and Knowledge, Abu Dhabi and IIT Delhi for planning to establish IIT Delhi – Abu Dhabi, UAE.
4 – PM Modi in Japan
PM Modi was on a visit to Japan between 19 and 21 May. The Indian leader, along with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese, Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and US President Joe Biden participated in the third in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Hiroshima.
The Prime Minister also unveiled the bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima. The 42-inch tall bronze bust has been gifted by the Government of India to the city of Hiroshima as a symbol of friendship and goodwill between India and Japan, on the occasion of the visit of the Prime Minister for the G-7 summit.
PM Modi also attended the summit of the G7 advanced economies on an invitation by his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
The Indian Prime Minister also held a bilateral meeting with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida.
On the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Japan’s Hiroshima, PM Modi held first in-person talk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
5 – PM Modi in Indonesia
Between 6 and 7 September, PM Modi was on a visit to Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the 20th ASEAN-India Summit and the 18th East Asia Summit (EAS).
At the ASEAN-India Summit, the Prime Minister had announced a decision to establish an Indian Embassy in Dili, Timor-Leste.
This decision was warmly welcomed by Timor Leste and ASEAN Members. Timor Leste joined ASEAN in 2022 as an Observer, before becoming its full Member.
With inputs from agencies