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By Amrashree Mishra
Margaret MacLeod, the US State Department's Hindustani Spokesperson, on Friday hailed the longstanding partnership between New Delhi and Washington as India joined the US-led flagship initiative Pax Silica on the sidelines of the Global AI Impact Summit being held in New Delhi. In an exclusive interview with ANI, MacLeod said, "We are delighted that India has decided to become a member of the the Pax Silica initiative on the sidelines of the AI Summit." She underlined how there is a wave of revolution when it comes to the field of Artificial Intelligence and expressed happiness on India's decision of joining the initiative, with the two countries now looking forward towards a more prosperous and secure future. "There should not be a case where only one country controls and weaponises on the scarcity of supply. We want to work with countries like India so that the world reaps benefits of AI." She noted that Pax Silica declaration is a coming together of like-minded countries coming together to collaborate so that the full stack of AI-- right from critical minerals and their processing to semiconductors and LLMs and energy are secure. Highlighting how India is a key partner of the United States, Macleod listed critical emerging technologies, strategic and military technologies as areas where the countries can work in tandem. She called Pax Silica as one of the examples reflecting the strength of ties between the two countries and reiterated US Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor's remarks on the relationship, stating, "As Ambassador Gor says, there is infinite potential in the partnership between India and the United States." Her remarks come as India on Friday signed the Pax Silica Declaration on the sidelines of the Global AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. Pax Silica is the US Department of State's leading initiative on AI and supply chain security, aimed at advancing a new economic security consensus among allies and trusted partners. The declaration underlines the importance of a reliable supply chain indispensable to mutual economic security and recognises AI as a transformative force for long-term prosperity. US Ambassador to India Segio Gor; Jacob Helberg, United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy; Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Union Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw were among those present during the signing of the declaration. Gor earlier highlighted India's determination and the expanding scope of cooperation between the two countries. Welcoming India to the Pax Silica initiative he said by signing this partnership the two nations had chosen to win. "We welcome India joining to co found the future tax silicon is about free society, whether free societies will control the commanding heights of the global economy. It's about whether innovation happens in Bangalore and Silicon Valley or in surveillance states they use technology to monitor and control their people. We choose freedom, we choose partnership. We choose strength. And today, with India's entry into Pax silica, we choose to win," Gor said. Helberg lauded joining the Pax Silica Declaration, noting that it underscores the importance of economic security translating into national security and stands in the face of coercion and blackmail undermining prosperity of nations. The partnership comes shortly after India participated at the Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier in February represented by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. (ANI)
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