Published 18:40 IST, September 27th 2019
From 'Howdy, Modi!' to UNGA: PM Modi's historic US visit in pictures
In the height of PM Modi's US visit, this story is a visual guide highlighting all his important engagements from the trip. Scroll below to see the photos
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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit is about to come to an end with his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, September 27, it is important to remember the key moments through the perspective of visuals. The first leg of the trip was kicked off with an unprecedented welcome after he landed at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on September 22. Many US officials including the Director of Trade and International Affairs, Christopher Olson and the Indian envoy to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla received him.
His gesture of picking up flowers that fell from the bouquet given to him won him wholesome praise from many people across India.
The Houston engagements
Initially, the PM held a roundtable conference at The Post Oak Hotel involving the CEOs of 17 global energy companies. He witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Tellurian and Petronet LNG, whereby the latter would invest $2.5 billion in Tellurian's proposed Driftwood LNG export terminal. In return, it will get the rights to 5 million metric tonnes of LNG yearly spanning 40 years.
Later, he met the Kashmiri Pandit, Sikh, and Dawoodi Bohra community delegations. While the Sikh community congratulated him for his government's Kartarpur Corridor initiative, the Kashmiri Pandits expressed their joy on the Centre's move on Article 370. The Dawoodi Bohra group recalled the PM's 2018 visit to their community programme in Indore.
This was followed by his speech at the 'Howdy, Modi! Shared Dreams, Bright Futures' event that attracted over 50,000 people at the NRG Stadium. United States of America President Donald Trump also spoke at the event. A 90-minute show oacked with engrossing music, dance, and multimedia showcasing the rich diversity and cultural integrity of India and Indian Americans, flagged off the programme. It featured 400 artists from Texas and other parts of the US, with 27 groups performing in a seamless manner. The US President not only laid down the achievements of his administration but also lauded the work of PM Modi’s government in India. Subsequently, the PM covered a range of issues from Article 370 to highlighting the diversity of the country.
A delighted fan from India did not hesitate to take a selfie with both PM Modi and US President Donald Trump.
The PM's arrival in New York
After the 'Howdy, Modi!' event, PM Modi arrived in New York for the second leg of his visit. Basically, he had a packed schedule involving multiple engagements at the UN.
Thereafter, he spoke at the UN Climate Action Summit where he outlined India's bold plan to ensure that its citizens get access to energy while preserving the planet at the same time.
The PM also met various global leaders like German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bhutan PM Dr Lotay Tshering and many others.
He addressed the High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage at the UN headquarters and highlighted India's initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat.
Meeting with US President Trump
There was a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and the US President where the two sides agreed to execute a trade deal very soon.
Another key event at the UN was the 'Relevance of Mahatma Gandhi in the Contemporary World' that was addressed by many world leaders and the UN Secretary-General. PM Modi explained the essence of Mahatma Gandhi's teachings on this occasion to commemorate his 150th birth anniversary.
On September 24, he was honoured with the 'Global Goalkeeper Award' by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The PM met the delegation of Pacific Island Countries and chaired the India-CARICOM Leaders' meeting in New York as well.
His one-to-one engagements with Heads of other countries continued as he met New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern, Belgium PM Charles Michel amongst many others.
Business ties
On September 25, he delivered the plenary address at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum where he highlighted multiple opportunities for the foreign companies to invest in India. He also cited several measures undertaken by the government, ranging from speedy infrastructure growth to a cut in the corporate tax rate. Afterwards, CEO roundtable commenced. At this event, the PM interacted with high-ranking officials of 45 companies including Amazon, Amway, Apple, Bank of America, Boeing, Coca Cola, Deloitte, Ford, Google, IBM, Microsoft, VISA and many others. The focus of this meeting was on business and trade ties. Also, investment opportunities in India and enhancing the commercial linkages between the two countries were on the agenda.
Later, he met Iran President Hassan Rouhani, having in-depth discussions on regional as well as international matters and also, engaged with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades.
Images sourced from: @narendramodi & Rajya Sabha TV
16:12 IST, September 27th 2019