NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to visit the United States for an official “state visit” from June 21 to 24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden. Upon his arrival, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the Republic of India at the White House. While PM Modi has been a frequent traveller to the United States in the past 9 years, none of these were “official state visits.”  So, this visit assumes huge significance since it will be PM Modi’s first “state visit’’ to the United States. PM had last month travelled to Australia, Japan and Papua New Guinea. He went to Hiroshima (Japan) for the G-7 Summit (May 19-21), then to Papua New Guinea for the Pacific Islands’ leaders summit, and finally to Australia for the Quad Leaders’ Summit. 

Who Was The Last Indian PM To Visit US On A State Visit? 

Prior to PM Modi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had visited the United States from November 23 to 25, 2009 on an “official state visit.” Though PM Modi has made multiple trips to the US in past years,  none of these visits could be categorised as a “state visit”, which is the highest-ranked visit, according to diplomatic protocol.

What Categorises As A State Visit? 

State visits are visits by a sovereign head of state/government to foreign countries. State visits are, therefore, described as a “visit of (name of state)” rather than “visit of (name of leader)”. State visits carry great ceremonial importance and symbolises friendly bilateral relations between the host and the guest states. In the case of the US, “state visits” can occur only upon the official invitation of the US President, who serves as the head of state. Presidents, prime ministers, and monarchs frequently make “state visits.” However, other important leaders, including crown princes, vice-presidents, and ceremonial heads of state, can make other types of foreign visits. 

Ceremonial Importance Attached With State Visits

State visits, which are usually a few days long, involve various elaborate ceremonies. These include the flight line ceremony, where the visiting head of state is welcomed upon landing, a 21-Gun Salute in the honour of the visiting official guest, playing the national anthems of both countries by a military band, an invitation to stay at the Blair House (the US President’s guest house), street-lining of flags and an exchange of gifts between the two heads. A state banquet is also held in the honour of “state guest’’ by the host state. 

Who Pays For The State Visit?

The host state/nation bears all expenses, including lodging and travelling, of a state visit. Importantly, the US president can host only one head of the state once every four years, according to the US State Department guidelines.

What Are Different Categories Of Foreign Visits?

While “state visits” hold greater ceremonial importance, the actual diplomatic work and relationship-building can be accomplished in various types of visits. According to the US State Department guidelines, there are five different types of visits that can be granted to any high-ranking official from another country. They are – state visit, official visit, official working visit, working visit and private visit. While invitations are required for all other visits, except a private visit by a head of a state, the invitation for a state visit is extended very rarely.

Categorisation Of PM Modi’s Past US Visits

PM Modi’s previous visits to the US were classified as a working visit (2014), working lunch (2016) and official working visit (2017). PM Modi’s 2019 visit to the US was described by the US Department of State as the one in which he “Participated in a rally in Houston, Texas”.

Details of Foreign/Domestic Visits of PM Modi Since 26.05.2014

The Government of India’s website has a dedicated page: (https://www.pmindia.gov.in/en/details-of-foreigndomestic-visits) which carries the details of foreign visits undertaken by PM Modi since 26.05.2014 along with the duration and expenses incurred on chartered flights.