 and friends from across the administration and from the United States Congress. And let me also acknowledge our James Beard-winning guest chef, Mirwani Irani, who is here with us today. And you should know that Mirwani credits his mother as his earliest culinary inspiration, and I think we're all about to be very inspired by what she gave to him and he's now about to give to us. It's been 30 years, Prime Minister, since you visited this country through a State Department exchange program. You said that experience showed you, and I quote, the dreams of the American people and the boldness of their ambitions. In your address to our Congress yesterday, you highlighted the boldness of India's own ambitions, the remarkable advances that your country has made in recent years, expanding free medical care, empowering women, harnessing clean energy. The positive impact in the lives of the Indian people is immeasurable and it will be lasting. And it underscores that these aspirations for a better future are ones that we share and ones that we depend upon each other to help realize. That's why when President Eisenhower became the first American president to visit India, he told your parliament that the welfare of America is bound up with the welfare of India. Over the past several decades, the United States and India have been advancing the vision of greater interdependence, brought closer by administrations of different parties in both of our countries. Having worked for President Biden for over 20 years, I know that his belief in this partnership is long-standing and his commitment to delivering on his promise is unwavering. And during the last two and a half years, we've transformed the relationship between our countries. We are working closer together on more issues than ever before. From semiconductors to space, from education to food security, the energy, ambition and potential of our cooperation is boundless. The United States and India have become, as the Prime Minister has put it, indispensable partners. And that partnership, President Biden has said, is a defining relationship of the 21st century. Together, we're promoting greater peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and around the globe, combating disease, responding to natural disasters, strengthening the maritime security, standing up for the principles at the heart of the United Nations Charter. We're working to safeguard our planet for future generations, developing affordable solar panels and sustainable aviation fees. We're driving opportunity and innovation from the entrepreneurs powering our economies to the U.S. companies investing in India and vice versa. And the cutting edge research that we're jointly advancing from quantum to artificial intelligence is helping to sustain our technological edge and shaping a digital future that safeguards democratic values. Here in the United States, India is part of our daily lives. We enjoy Jhupala Hiri's novels over samosas. We laugh at the comedies of Mindy Kaling. We dance to the beats of Diljit, said Coachella. And yes, Mr. Prime Minister, and I can say this from personal experience, we keep ourselves more or less fit and healthy doing yoga. The United States is endlessly enriched by our thriving Indian diaspora. Doctors, teachers, engineers, business leaders, public servants, almost all of whom it seemed were on the White House lawn yesterday to greet you. And so many of whom are here with us today. Leaders, of course, like Vice President Harris, whose mother came from Tamil Nadu, coming here to help unlock the secrets of cancer. We're diplomats right here at the State Department, where a man whose father came to America with just a bus ticket and $14 in his pocket rose to become the first United States Indian American ambassador to India. And today, Richard Rahul Verma serves as the Deputy Secretary of State the highest-ranking Indian American official in the department's history. And, Mr. Prime Minister, that ultimately is maybe the strongest bond that unites us. As you glimpsed in your earliest travels here, whether we call it the American dream, whether we call it the Indian dream, whether it's the son of an immigrant from Jalandhar rising through the State Department, or a T-seller becoming Prime Minister, are people believed profoundly in opportunity, that no matter who we are or where we come from, we can make something more of ourselves. So please join me in raising a glass to our shared hopes for the future and to the U.S.-India partnership that will help make those hopes a reality. Cheers. And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you the Vice President of the United States. Mr. Secretary, Madam Ryan, thank you for hosting us here yet again. It is the honor of dug in mind to be with you, honoring the friendship and the importance of the relationship between India and the United States. Prime Minister Modi, we are honored to welcome you. We also welcome the members of the President's Cabinet who are here and all of the members of Congress who are here, including Speaker Emerita Pelosi, Chairman McCall, and welcome to all of our distinguished guests. As I look around this room, I am struck by the extraordinary impact Indian Americans have had on our country in every facet of life. Take, for example, the historic number of members of the United States Congress with Indian heritage. Representatives Ami Berra, if you're here, please stand. Pranila Jayapal, Radha Krishnamurthy. This is a caucus for those of you who do not know. And around our country, we see the impact of Indian Americans from the sea suites of American companies to neighborhood businesses, from the studios of Hollywood to university research labs across our country. So as many of you know, India is a very important part of my life. When my sister Mai and I were growing up, our mother would take us from the Bay Area to India pretty much every other year. And the purpose of those trips were many, including that we would well understand where she came from, what produced her, so that we could spend time with our grandparents, with my uncle and our Chittis, and to really understand the love of good idli. And we traveled to visit my grandparents in what was then called Madras. And I will tell you, my grandfather was one of the most favorite people in my life, truly. We were pen pals, in fact, throughout my childhood. And I was the eldest grandchild. And so, as I'm sure many of you know, culturally to be the eldest has a certain significance, and so I took full advantage of that status in our family. And my grandfather, of course, convinced me, as he did I think everyone of his grandchildren, that we were his favorite. Yet, on those visits, I was the only member of our family that my grandfather allowed to join him for his morning routine. You see, by the time that we were going there as children, my grandfather was retired from his career as a civil servant. And his morning routine, every morning, consisted of taking long walks on the beach with his retired buddies. And they, as retired civil servants, would debate the issues of the day. So I would hold my grandfather's hand on these walks and listen intently to him and his friends. And I will tell you, as a young girl, I think I've fully appreciated the essence and the import of the debates that they would have. But I did clearly understand and do recall stories about the freedom fighters and the nation's founding heroes, and about the independence of India. I remember them talking about the importance of fighting corruption and fighting for equality, regardless of one's belief or caste. Throughout these walks, I recall my grandfather teaching me lessons about not just what it means to have a democracy, but to keep a democracy. And I do believe it is these lessons that I learned at a very young age that first inspired my interest in public service. Look back now, and I do fully realize how much these conversations influenced me and my thinking and how they have guided me ever since. In fact, it is a large part of who I am today, these lessons I learned from my grandfather, P. Viglopalan, and from the dedication, determination and courage of his daughter, my mother, Shamala. And it is that being the reason that I stand before you today as Vice President of the United States. The history and teachings in India and of India have not only influenced me, they of course have shaped the entire globe, as Secretary Blinken just described. Throughout history, India has inspired millions of people around the world, whether through philosophy and theology, the power of civil disobedience, or the commitment to democracy. Indeed, as I travel the world as Vice President, I have seen India's global impact firsthand. In Southeast Asia, Indian-made vaccines have saved lives and livelihoods. On the continent of Africa, India's long-standing partnerships support prosperity and security. And throughout the Indo-Pacific, India helps promote a free and open region. I also know of India's extraordinary impact with regard to innovation, medicine and science. I know this as a daughter of California. I know this as a former District Attorney, Attorney General and Senator, who has worked on technology with leaders in Silicon Valley. And I know this, of course, as a daughter of a scientist. My mother at the age of 19 arrived in the United States by herself as part of the first wave of Indian students to travel here. She chose UC Berkeley because it was known as being one of the best universities in the world. And growing up, I remember my mother, our mother, spending day and night and weekends in the lab. She always asked the big questions and searched for the answers that would be a clue to improving the condition of life. She understood what was possible, unburdened by what has been. And since then, I think about it in the context of the work she did and her studies that have led to advances in breast cancer research. And I think about it in the context of the millions of Indian students who have come to the United States since to collaborate with American researchers to solve the challenges of our time and to reach new frontiers. Indian innovators have made great strides in engineering and computer programming. They've sent a mission to Mars, and they have launched and led technology companies that are global leaders in the areas of autonomous vehicles, robotics, cybersecurity, climate data and digital finance. All of which can serve to improve the human condition and uplift the people. The point here being, India's global engagement has not only been to the benefit of the people of India, but also to the benefit of the people of the United States and people around the world. So, Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your role of leadership to help India emerge as a global power in the 21st century. You have helped to reinvigorate the Quad. Your leadership of the D20 is making new strides on climate finance, and you have been a proponent of international institutions and global solutions to global challenges. And as a point of personal privilege, as chair of the National Space Council, I thank you for your leadership in space and for our joint work on an earth science satellite, which will help us address the climate crisis. And I will also thank you, because when you and I first met at the White House, I asked you to join the Artemis Accords, a commitment to the safe and transparent use of space. And today I am happy to report as you have that you have joined the Artemis Accords. So, Prime Minister Modi, President Joe Biden and I are grateful for your commitment to strengthen the ties and the relationships between the United States and India. And we share that commitment. Under your leadership and that of President Biden, our partnership has become more expansive than it has ever been. Over the past two and a half years, you and I have advanced cooperation on climate, on clean energy, terrorism, cyber crime, public health and vaccine production. And during this trip, our countries have launched new areas of cooperation from artificial intelligence to semiconductors. As we look toward the future, the United States and India, the world's oldest and largest democracies, instinctively turn to each other and are increasingly aligned. So I will conclude with this, which is a memory again of my grandfather and what he taught me on those long walks. And in particular, what he taught me about the nobility of public service. Prime Minister Modi, you and I have both dedicated our careers to the noble work of public service. And so to everyone here today, I say it is incumbent on each of us inside of government and outside of government to continue the fight for progress and to serve the greater good. So I raise a glass to the enduring bonds between our nations and our people and to our continued work together, all in the service of the greater good. Vice President Kamala Harris, second gentleman, Douglas M. Hawk, Secretary of State, my friend, Anthony Blinken, White House Community Secretary, Evan Ryan, Sabhi Sammanit Pratnidiga, friends. First of all, I would like to thank Prime Minister Kamala Harris and Secretary Blinken for welcoming me. I would like to express my condolences to both of you, for which I would like to express my condolences to all of you. Today, once again, I would like to express my condolences to all of you in the State Department. In the last three days, I took part in many meetings, discussed many issues. In all of these meetings, one thing was common. All of them were that, between India and the United States, friends and co-workers should be more deeply involved. The trade union between India and the United States was established from the beginning of people-to-people ties. We are able to see the examples of these relations at step-by-step. Prime Minister Kamala Harris's mother, Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, came to the United States from India in 1958. At that time, most people didn't have a phone. That's why her mother used to send letters to her family by writing with her hand. And she had never let the trade union break with India. She had made a living. Whatever the medium was, she used the government. She was trying to make India and the United States live in harmony with each other. Despite thousands of meetings, India was always close to her. Madam Vice-President, you have brought her inspiration to the new world. Your ideas are not just about America. They are very important for the women of India and the entire world. Secretary Blinken, when I started using words like Sur and Gitmala, I was always on your side. The entire world knows about your diplomatic skills. And I will never forget it. There is a lot of talk about your musical talent. While traveling thousands of miles, you have brought music to the world and you have given music to the world. This is very important for all of us. Your very important contribution is to strengthen our strategic partnership. I thank you very much from my heart. During my journey in 2014, my dear friend, President Biden was also here with me in the State Department. At that time, he had promised the citizens of India and the United States over the horizon. In the last nine years, we have travelled a long and beautiful journey. We have united in defence and strategic areas. We are working with new faiths in new and advanced technology areas. We are solving the long and difficult issues of trade. We are working with new frameworks like Quad and I2U2. We are developing a lot together. Whether it is the earth or the sky, whether it is the depths of the ocean or the heights of the sky, India and America are working together. In the meantime, the promise over the horizon is neither a promise nor a horizon. Today, we have reached the point where we are proud of the achievements of all of you. Friends, on this note, I would like to raise a toast to your good health and well-being to our friendship and to the peace and prosperity of all our citizens. Thank you.