Indian prime minister invited to address Congress on June 22

US congressional leaders have invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint meeting of Congress during a visit to Washington later this month as the US looks to deepen its bonds with India, the world's most populous democracy.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and other leaders announced on Friday that Modi has been invited to make the address on June 22, stating in a letter that the “partnership between our two countries continues to grow” and calling the address an “opportunity to share your vision for India’s future and speak to the global challenges our countries both face.”

Modi's congressional address would come amid a state visit with President Joe Biden, which includes plans to celebrate Modi with high diplomatic honours reserved for close US allies.

The White House has said that Modi's visit will be a chance to build on a commitment to a free and secure Indo-Pacific region, as well as develop technology partnerships and tackle climate change.

Biden met with Modi in Japan last month at the Group of Seven summit, and he was expected to travel with the prime minister to later meetings in Papua New Guinea and Australia. But, the second leg of Biden's trip was cancelled so the president could travel home to deal with the stand-off with House Republicans over lifting the US national debt.

Congress routinely welcomes heads of state to deliver an address during a joint meeting, a high-profile opportunity to showcase bonds between the US and other nations. Modi became the fifth Indian prime minister to address Congress in 2016.

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