PM Narendra Modi likely to visit Houston to address Indian Diaspora and strengthen bilateral ties with US

Houston, May 17, 2017– Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was invited by the Indian Diaspora in Houston, Texas in the United States earlier in February, this year. The PMO is considering to visit the city and address the Indian Diaspora along the lines of address made by the prime minister in Madison Square Garden in 2014 and Silicon Valley in 2015.

In February this year, a delegation of NRI community leaders met Modi in Delhi, and requested him to plan his next diaspora event in Texas where about 2,50,000 Indian-Americans live and work.

The visit to the city was further emphasized by US energy secretary Rick Perry when he met the Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan earlier in march. Rick said that Modi's visit would improve energy cooperation between the two countries, adding a new dimension to bilateral ties, mentioned Indian Express report.

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Considering PM Modi's interest in space diplomacy, the NASA Johnson Space Centre would also be an attraction.

According to Indian Express report, as the Indian-US space cooperations and plans to launch a launch a joint satellite in 2021 are also areas where Modi would look to build relations with the US, the Texas visit is under "serious consideration" and the PMO will reportedly take a call by the next week.

A BJP leader said, "Time is short, and we would need to make arrangements fairly quickly if the PMO decides to go ahead with the Houston diaspora event."

He also added that a senior functionary of the ruling party who coordinates such events will be traveling to the U.S. next week.

As the Donald Trump administration is lifting restrictions on exploration and exports, fossil fuels will be an added component while emphasizing the wide range of cooperation between the two countries such as defense and counter-terrorism.

This will be the Indian Prime Minister's 5th visit to the US in the preceding three years but the 1st visit after President Donald Trump assumed office in January this year.

– prepared by Nikita Tayal of NewsGram, Twitter: @NikitaTayal6