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Highlighting the strong ties between New Delhi and Washington, US Charge d'Affaires A Elizabeth Jones on Sunday said that "India is our partner of choice," at a press conference in Bengaluru on the eve of Aero India 2023.
Notably, envoy Jones will be opening the USA Partnership Pavilion at Aero India 2023 today. "Our impressive pavilion that will open tomorrow and our growing diplomatic and security cooperation over the last year is evidence of this. In that connection, we congratulate India on its G20 presidency and look forward to robust US participation. India and the United States are crucial partners in so many ways to ensure a free and open, prosperous, connected, rules-based and resilient Indo-Pacific region where our democracies can thrive. Indeed, yesterday was the first anniversary of President Biden's Indo-Pacific strategy that underpins this commitment. So India is our partner of choice," said the US envoy. The United States Air Force Band of the Pacific's seven-member music ensemble Final Approach, based out of Yokota Air Base in Japan, will perform for the public at Aero India on February 16. The rock band will also perform for the general public from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on February 15 at the St. Joseph's University auditorium, Langford Road in Bengaluru. "We're working together to address climate change, improve global health and prepare for new pandemics, cooperate on cyber challenges, build quality infra, and ensure sustainable supply chains," said Jones. The Indo-Pacific strategy focuses on building collective capacity to deal with challenges in the region. These include a focus on challenges from China, advancing the US relationship, a 'Major Defense Partnership' with India, and supporting its role as a net security provider in the region. She also said that both countries are strengthening cooperation on critical technologies from space components to semiconductors. "Two weeks ago, National Security Advisor Doval met with counterparts at the White House to launch our initiative on critical and emerging technologies. They pledged to accelerate joint development and production through a bilateral defence industrial cooperation roadmap. Of course, economic growth is the key to making all of this possible," added Jones. She also gave examples of the US and Indian companies partnering to build on that growth. "Tata has ongoing joint ventures with Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Raytheon is investing in Bengaluru manufacturing and design. And General Atomic is engaging with third Itech and Virat Forge. Each new partnership helps to ensure the economic resilience needed to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific region," she added. (ANI)
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