This is How American Media Reacted to Modi’s Congressional Speech

Clad in a white kurta pyjama and grey-coloured half-jacket, Modi was applauded over 40 times in his 45-minute address

Narendra Modi Adressing US Congress. (Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was in Washington on Wednesday called for closer security relationship between India and the United States.

Addressing the US Congress, Modi stressed on the importance of this relationship between the two countries. Modi in his address hit all the right notes, and to great applause, went on to say that the two countries had finally overcome the “hesitations of history” and that the United States is now an indispensable partner in India’s forward march in all sectors.

Clad in his trademark white kurta pyjama and grey-coloured half-jacket, Modi was applauded over 40 times during his 45-minute address, in which he spoke about improving bilateral trade, strengthening of economies, promoting renewable clean energy, improving cyber security, and combating terrorism.

Here’s how the foreign media has reacted to PM Modi’s address of the joint session of the US Congress.

India’s Narendra Modi Emphasizes Security Ties in Address to Congress: WSJ

The Wall Street Journal’s coverage of Modi’s speech.(Photo Courtesy: The Wall Street Journal Screengrab)

According to The Wall Street Journal, PM Modi in his address charted a course for strong defence and counter-terrorism ties with the US, and in the “warm” address to the joint session of the Congress aimed at maintaining close cooperation with Washington.

He won loud applause as he alluded to American figures ranging from Martin Luther King Jr and Walt Whitman to Abraham Lincoln. The report says that the prime minister even joked about the partisan split of the politics back home.

US and India Mark a New Moment in Relations as Narendra Modi Speaks to Congress: NYT

PM Modi on the front page of The New York Times. (Photo Courtesy: The New York Times Screengrab)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a lengthy address to Congress on Wednesday condemned global terrorism and said that growing economic ties benefit both India and the United States, reports The New York Times.

The report says, that Mr Modi made clear that his speech was aimed to start a new moment in relations between the United States and India when he told Congress at the outset that he had started his visit to Washington with a trip to Arlington National Cemetery.

Addressing Congress, Modi Calls for Closer Relations Between India and US: The Washington Post

The Washington Post’s take on Modi’s Speech (Photo Courtesy: The Washington Post)

The Washington Post in its report on Modi’s speech mentioned how he used dashes of humor and drew parallels between the politics of his own nation and that of the United States’ which he described tongue-in-cheek as “harmonious” and well-known for bipartisanship.

It said that Modi’s speech was full of jokes about bipartisanship, Indian American immigrants and intellectual property, the latter being a thorny issue in talks about the financing of measures to slow climate change.

Calling Modi “a keen advocate of yoga”, the report also referenced how he cited cultural ties and estimated that “more Americans bend for yoga than to throw a curve ball.”

Many foreign journalists also reacted to Modi’s address of the joint session of the US Congress. ABC News’ Brooke Wylie, tweeted to share her views:

Paris-based host of The France 24, Francois Picard tweeted a link of the latest episode of Debate and The World This Week, where he discussed PM Modi’s speech with NYT columnist, Aatish Taseer.