India-USA partnership augurs well for the democracy: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the US Congress

Mister Speaker, Madam Vice President, Distinguished Members of the US Congress, Ladies and Gentlemen, Namaskar! It is always a great honor to address the United States Congress.

It is an exceptional privilege to do so twice. For this honor, I extend my deepest gratitude on behalf of the 1.4 billion people of India. I see that nearly half of you were here in 2016. I feel your warmth as old friends. I can also see the enthusiasm for a new friendship in the other half. I remember Senator Harry Reid, Senator John McCain, Senator Orrin Hatch, Elijah Cummings, Alcee Hastings, and others, whom I met here in 2016, and who are sadly no longer with us.

Standing here, seven Junes ago, that June when Hamilton swept all the awards, I said that the hesitations of history were behind us. Now, when our era is at a crossroads, I am here to speak about our calling for this century. Through the long and winding road that we have traveled, we have met the test of friendship. A lot has changed since I came here seven summers ago. But a lot has remained the same – like our commitment to deepen the friendship between India and the United States. In the past few years, there have been many advances in AI – Artificial Intelligence. At the same time, there have been even more momentous developments in another AI – America, and India.