WASHINGTON: US President Joe Biden has hailed US-India ties, while rolling out the pageantry for visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday. Mr Modi, who is on a state visit, also addressed the US Congress.
When addressing Congress, Mr Modi did not mention China by name, although he mentioned “dark clouds of coercion and confrontation casting their shadow over the Indo-Pacific”.
India has so far not directly criticised Russia, which analysts say is largely due to its huge dependency on Russian defence imports and its “time-tested ties” with Moscow.
This has strained relations between Washington and Delhi but Mr Biden chose to focus on the positive, saying ties between the two countries were stronger than ever.
He added that a “new chapter” had been added to the two countries comprehensive and global-strategic partnership.
The Indian prime minister has come under increasing criticism for cracking down on dissent. His Hindu nationalist government too has been accused of not doing enough to protect minorities from violence and discrimination.
