modi obamaNew Delhi: In a major sign of deepening India-US ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday invited US President Barack Obama to be the chief guest at the Jan 26, 2015 Republic Day parade. Signifying a renewal of the India-US strategic partnership, President Barack Obama has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to join India’s Republic Day celebrations as chief guest in January.

The invitation to Obama comes weeks after Modi’s hugely successful visit to the US. Modi and Obama also met on the sidelines of G20 summit in Brisbane on Nov 14. Obama had called Modi a “man of action.”

“This visit will mark the first time a US president will have the honour of attending Republic Day, which commemorates the adoption of India’s constitution,” the White House said in a statement.

“The president will meet with the prime minister and Indian officials to strengthen and expand the US-India strategic partnership,” the statement added.

This will be Obama’s second visit to India after his first one in November 2010 at the invitation of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He had then also addressed a joint session of the Indian parliament.

Obama had chosen to host Manmohan Singh for the first official state dinner of his presidency in November 2009.

Earlier, Modi had announced the invitation in a tweet saying: “This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over… invited President Obama to be the 1st US President to grace the occasion as Chief Guest”.

 

IANS