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The shared vision of India and the United States for the Indo-Pacific has brought the two countries together and helped reinforce the post-war order and norms grounded on democracy, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma said.
The US diplomat was addressing an event organised by the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, in the national capital on Wednesday. Richard Verma served as the 25th United States Ambassador to India. He was nominated by then President Barack Obama in September 2014. "Our shared vision for the Indo-Pacific has brought us closer and helped reinforce the post-war order and norms grounded on democracy, the rule of law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes," Verma said at the event. Richard Verma said initiatives like Quad have brought greater certainty to the frameworks for cooperation and have also helped in making the citizens more empowered and secure. "Our new architectures for cooperation, chief among them the Quad, has brought greater certainty and clarity to the frameworks for cooperation, and indeed a sense of optimism for the future - despite initial skepticism from some corners, the QUAD has evolved into a leaders-level organization forming a new pillar of Indo-Pacific architecture," he said. "When like-minded nations come together as they have in the Quad to deliver greater peace and prosperity, maritime security, to battle climate change, and so much more, our citizens are empowered and they are more secure," Verma added. The US Deputy Secretary of State also praised India-US cooperation of the Initiative for Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) and the partnership in the Minerals Security Partnership "We are building trusted networks that will secure the supply chains for minerals essential to the development of next-generation technologies and cooperating in the development and governance of those technologies themselves. Perhaps one particularly inspiring example is the investment of up to USD 825 million by U.S. firm Micron in a semiconductor packaging unit in Gujarat, strongly supported by efforts by both our governments under iCET," he said. He further heaped praises on people-to-people ties between the two nations, saying their cooperation is in every area. He also pointed out that around 1.3 million visas were issued to Indians last year which was a record. "America boasts well over 4 million Americans of Indian descent and Indian immigrants to the United States constitute the second largest category of US citizens," Verma said. He also spoke on the cooperation between India and the US towards combating climate change, emphasising the US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership "On protecting the planet and battling climate change, we have found how much can be achieved when India and the United States work together. While India and the US are two of the largest emitters in the world, we've also partnered to address the climate crisis and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement by launching the US - India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership. Last year, President Biden and Prime Minister Modi announced plans to cooperate on rolling out 10,000 e-buses in India," he said. Richard Verma also lauded the role of sports in the India-US ties. He said it was a proud moment for the US to host the ICC T20 World Cup this year and affirmed hope that India will end up hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics. "Sports and deep pride in the achievement of our athletes continues to unite our countries. It was an honour for the United States to co-host the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, and we cheered on both our teams and celebrated India's thrilling championship win," Verma said. He added, "I know it was this close bond that inspired the dedicated advocacy of then-Mayor and now Ambassador Garcetti in his successful campaign to restore cricket to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. And, who knows, we may even see the Summer Olympics hosted right here in India in 2036." Stating that the future of India-US ties is bright, the US leader reiterated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris's remark calling it the "defining partnership of the 21st Century." Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Richard Verma in Delhi and spoke about the continuing momentum in the bilateral ties between the two countries. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues. (ANI)
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