Biden Hosts Indian Prime Minister for a State Visit Amid Human Rights Concerns

President Biden emphasized the power of democracies on Thursday as he hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House, boasting of the collaborations between the two nations on “nearly every human endeavor” while stressing that universal human rights remain vital to the success of both the U.S. and India.

In a news conference Thursday, Mr. Biden called the relationship between the U.S. and India “among the most consequential in the world” and “stronger, closer and more dynamic than at any time in history.” He underscored how two of the world’s most powerful democracies were cooperating on issues such as the climate, health care and space, saying that the U.S-India economic relationship was “booming.”

But standing alongside Modi, who has come under criticism from human rights advocates, Mr. Biden also emphasized the importance of press and religious freedoms. “The bottom line is simple,” he said. “We want people everywhere to have the opportunity to live in dignity.”

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