Modi was reelected in June following a marathon election in which more than 640 million votes were cast over a span of six weeks in the world's largest democratic exercise.
“This year, 2024, is a very important one for the entire world,” he said. “On the one hand, there are conflicts raging between several countries in the world, there is tension. And on the other, democracy is being celebrated in several countries of the world. India and America are also together in this celebration of democracy.”
Modi's appearance in New York came a day after he attended a summit hosted by President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, for leaders of the so-called Quad that also included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan.
Also Saturday, Modi accepted the return of 297 antiquities spanning thousands of years that had been stolen or trafficked from India. The U.S. has returned nearly 600 such cultural artifacts to India since 2016, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs.
On Monday, the prime minister is expected to attend a United Nations summit in advance of this week's General Assembly.
Sunday's event was sponsored by the not-for-profit Indo American Community of USA.
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