NEW DELHI: India has invited US President Joe Biden for Republic Day celebrations next year, confirmed US ambassador Eric Garcetti here on Wednesday. The last, and only, US President to participate in India’s Republic Day parade as chief guest was Barack Obama in 2015.
India had last invited then President Donald Trump for the 2019 celebrations but he couldn’t come because of, as the White House later said, scheduling constraints.
India is also looking to finalise the dates for the Quad summit, which it is supposed to host next year, around the same time. It’s not clear yet if India has approached other Quad leaders to attend the parade along with Biden. A source said the Quad summit may take place a day after Republic Day.
Garcetti, however, said PM Narendra Modi had not mentioned the Quad summit while inviting Biden, during the latter’s maiden visit to India as president for the G20 summit. “During their bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Modi invited President Biden to visit for January 26. He did not mention the Quad Summit during the meeting, as that has to be coordinated,” said Garcetti, replying to a question on whether Biden had been invited.
India had last invited then President Donald Trump for the 2019 celebrations but he couldn’t come because of, as the White House later said, scheduling constraints.
India is also looking to finalise the dates for the Quad summit, which it is supposed to host next year, around the same time. It’s not clear yet if India has approached other Quad leaders to attend the parade along with Biden. A source said the Quad summit may take place a day after Republic Day.
Garcetti, however, said PM Narendra Modi had not mentioned the Quad summit while inviting Biden, during the latter’s maiden visit to India as president for the G20 summit. “During their bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit, Prime Minister Modi invited President Biden to visit for January 26. He did not mention the Quad Summit during the meeting, as that has to be coordinated,” said Garcetti, replying to a question on whether Biden had been invited.
