Key Takeaways
- The US is deepening its economic ties and security cooperation with India.
- The US welcomes any countries making more positive relations with their neighbours, but ultimately this is between India and Pakistan.
- The state visit of PM Narendra Modi to Washington in June last year marked a significant step in deepening US-India relations.
Washington and New Delhi are deepening their economic ties and security cooperation, despite India’s relations with Iran and Russia. This is a significant development in the US-India relationship.
Vedant Patel, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson, emphasized the importance of deepening economic ties and security cooperation between the US and India. The President had the opportunity briefly see Prime Minister Modi on the margins of the G7 a couple of weeks ago. So this is an area we will continue to cultivate this relationship.”
Speaking about the state visit of PM Narendra Modi to Washington in June last year, he said:
“You are no stranger to the fact that we hosted India for a state visit last summer, and I imagine there’ll be a number of additional areas where we continue to deepen cooperation. National Security Advisor Sullivan just had a visit to Delhi a number of weeks ago as well.”
To a question on how the US views the triangle of U.S.-India, U.S.-Pakistan, and India-U.S. relations, in view of former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif’s peace overtures to India and the latter maintaining that talks and terror cannot go together, Patel said: “Well, we would hope that any country on the face of the planet condemns terrorism anywhere, but ultimately this is between India and Pakistan. Broadly, of course, we welcome any countries making more positive relations with their neighbours. But as it relates to this specifically, I just – I don’t have anything to offer.”
