By Yashwant Raj

Washington, Jun 22 (IANS): The US has cleared the joint production of GE's F 414A jet engines in India giving a "new" direction to ties between the two countries, a senior White House official told reporters on the eve of President Joe Biden's official state dinner for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India will announce the purchase of 16 MQ 9B armed Sea Guardians, the official said, ending protracted negotiations that lasted almost seven years.

Detailed outcomes of Prime Minister Modi's first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Biden will only be available after the meeting of the two leaders on Thursday.

A joint statement that will be issued by the two sides is also likely to include the reinstatement of preferential trading benefits for Indian exports to the US under a scheme called the Generalized System of Preferences, which was suspended by the administration of former President Donald Trump in 2018.

The two sides are expected to announce a slew of joint initiatives and agreements after Biden's meeting with Modi on Thursday morning, in a new spirit of cooperation between the two sides that was described by officials who were part of the negotiations as "mature".