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US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday (local time) said he did not have anything to announce regarding US President Joe Biden's visit to India in January or any other time.
Addressing a press briefing, Sullivan said, "I am not going to speak to either intelligence or law enforcement matters from this podium. I will let that process play out. We are in as I said before, continuous communications and consultation with the Canadian govt and we will remain so as we go forward...and I don't have anything to announce today about travel by the President [US] to India in January or any other time." He made the remarks in response to a question regarding Biden's visit to India in January, amid the ongoing diplomatic rowbetween India and Canada. Bilateral relations between India and Canada have hit a sharp downward spiral after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau on Monday accused the Indian government of being behind the fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India, however, rejected the allegations levelled by the Trudeau administration, terming them "absurd" and "motivated". Earlier on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a press briefing said that India will make an announcement regarding these engagements at the appropriate time. Asked if India has invited US President Joe Biden for the Republic Day celebration as chief guest, Bagchi said, "On the issue of the invitations, look, for the 26th January, as you're all very well aware and I don't do crystal ball gazing. These engagements are announced at the appropriate time. We will certainly share with you information once we are in a position to do so." US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, on Wednesday, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited President Biden to the Republic Day celebrations next year, as the chief guest. Garcetti said the invitation to Biden was extended by PM Modi on the sidelines of the bilateral that took place between the two leaders at the recently concluded G20 Summit. During the bilateral talks, India and the US also settled the seventh and last outstanding World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed United States President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., to India today, reaffirming the close and enduring partnership between India and the United States. The leaders expressed their appreciation for the substantial progress underway to implement the groundbreaking achievements of Prime Minister Modis historic, June 2023, visit to Washington, the India-US joint statement read. The two leaders called on their governments to continue the work of transforming the India-US Strategic Partnership across all dimensions of our multifaceted global agenda, based on trust and mutual understanding. After the meeting, Biden and PM Modi lauded the India-US relations and said that the friendship between the two nations will continue to play a great role in furthering global good. (ANI)
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