JD Vance, wife to visit Akshardham Temple; PM Modi to host dinner for them

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for US Vice President J D Vance and Indian-origin Second Lady Usha on Monday evening, after holding talks with the American leader that are set to focus on trade, tariff and several other key issues, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.

The US vice president, his wife, Usha, and their three children -- Ewan, Vivek and Mirabel -- are scheduled to land at the Palam airbase here at 10 am on Monday on a four-day India visit.

The Vances will be welcomed on their arrival by a senior Union minister.

Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra.

Vance is expected to be accompanied by at least five senior officials, including from the Pentagon and the State Department, the people cited above said.

Hours after arriving in Delhi, Vance and his family are scheduled to visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham temple and could also go to a shopping complex selling traditional Indian handcrafted goods, they said.

At 6:30 pm on Monday, Modi will host Vance for talks that are expected to focus on an early finalisation of the proposed India-US bilateral trade agreement as well as on ways to boost the overall trajectory of the ties between the two countries.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian Ambassador to the United States Vinay Mohan Kwatra are expected to be part of the Indian team to be led by Modi, the people said.

After the talks, the prime minister will host the Vances and the accompanying American officials for dinner.

The people cited above said Vance and his family will leave for Jaipur on Monday night.

In Delhi, the US vice president and his family are set to stay in the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel.

On April 22, the Vances will visit a number of historical sites, including the Amer Fort, also known as the Amber Fort -- a UNESCO world heritage site -- the people said.

In the afternoon, the US vice president is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur, they added.

Vance is expected to delve into the broader aspects of the India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during his speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian government officials and academia.

The US vice president and his family are expected to travel to Agra on the morning of April 23, the people cited above said.

In Agra, they will visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram, an open-air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts, they said.

After concluding their trip to Agra, the Vances will return to Jaipur in the second half of April 23.

Vance and his family will depart for the US from Jaipur on April 24, according to the people cited above.

In Jaipur, the Vances are set to stay at the elegant Rambagh Palace, a luxury hotel that once served as a royal guesthouse.