Our Bureau
Washington
India-US security cooperation will become even more important in the years ahead and the work of the two countries on emerging technologies will take on even more promise, a top American diplomat said on Thursday, reiterating the remarks of President Joe Biden that this is the defining partnership of the 21st century.
“As both President Biden and Prime Minister Modi have said, our impact on each other is important, but what we can do for the world is even more important. Whether it’s addressing food insecurity or battling the next pandemic or connecting millions to the digital economy, there is so much we can do together,” Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard Verma, wrote in a blog post after his recent return from India.
“Our security cooperation will become even more important in the years ahead. The threats we face are real, but building our collective capabilities, increasing our sharing of information, and improving maritime domain awareness and interoperability will ensure India continues to be a provider of net security across the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.”
He further wrote, “We’ve partnered to address the climate crisis and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement by launching the U.S.-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership. More recently, at COP28 in November, Indian and U.S. officials discussed our new partnership to help India electrify 50,000 buses and expand access to low carbon public transport. In people-to-people ties, America boasts well over 4 million Americans of Indian descent. Last year, the U.S. Embassy issued over one million visas; and there are now nearly 270,000 Indian students in the United States.”
