House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. responds to a question from the audience during a town hall at Gaston Hall at Georgetown University in Washington, Wednesday, April 27. | AP Photo Ryan will host Indian prime minister for joint meeting this summer

Speaker Paul Ryan announced Thursday that he has invited the prime minister of India for a joint meeting of Congress this summer.



Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi, who is slated to visit Washington this summer, would address the House and Senate on June 8, the Wisconsin Republican said at a press conference Thursday morning, should he accept the invitation.



“India is the most populous democracy and soon it’s going to be the most populous country,” he said. “The friendship between our nations will be a pillar of stability in a very, very important region. This address presents a special opportunity for us to deepen our ties with our ally India.”



This will be the first joint-meeting of Ryan’s speakership, making Modi the fifth Indian prime minister to address both chambers of Congress — the first since 2005.

The Indian government and the White House approached the Speaker’s office weeks ago while ironing out the details of Modi's visit this summer. And this morning, Ryan met with India's foreign secretary to formally extend the invitation, telling the foreign diplomat that the U.S. and India are “bookends in the world for our values.”


Modi has been a frequent visitor to the United States since his election in May 2014. That first year, President Barack Obama hosted him at a White House dinner, and he headed to New York to give a speech at Madison Square Garden to the Indian-American community.

The Indian prime minister also visited Silicon Valley last September when he was in the country for the annual United Nation’s General Assembly meeting. Likewise, Obama visited India in January 2015 as the “chief guest” of the Modi government for the annual Republic Day celebrations.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce (R-Calif.) in a statement said the address will touch on partnerships between the two nations, which include areas of "defense, nuclear power, renewable energy and space exploration."

"I look forward to welcoming the Prime Minister to the Capitol," he said. "I look forward to hearing from Prime Minister Modi about how we can continue working together to promote peace and prosperity."