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| INDIAN AMERICAN RELATIONS |
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"America has dramatically improved ties with India, the world's largest democracy, including a historic agreement on civilian nuclear energy" - President Bush
"The best is yet to come" - Prime Minister Singh
"The U.S. and India are poised for a partnership that will be crucial in shaping the international order in the 21st century." - Ambassador David C. Mulford
"I take great pride in knowing that we have made real progress transforming our strategic partnership into a truly comprehensive relationship." - Ambassador David C. Mulford
"The United States is serious about its vision for the U.S.-India relationship and we are working hard with our Indian counterparts to make it happen." - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
"The greatest change you will see in the next three or four years is a new American focus on South Asia, particularly in establishing a closer strategic partnership with India." - R. Nicholas Burns, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs
"By working together, the U.S. and India can help secure clean, reliable, affordable sources of energy to keep both our economies and the economies of the world expanding." - Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman
"The defense-to-defense relationship is a strong one and something that we intend to see is further knitted together." - Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld
"After too long a period of maintaining a distance, India and the United States are coming together as true partners on the world stage." - Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta
"Today India actively seeks foreign direct investment from the U.S., but India is also eager to invest in the U.S. The two-way investment ... must be underscored by technology transfer and technology exchange." - Kamal Nath, Minister of Commerce & Industry
"This is a watershed year in U.S.-India relations." - Christina Rocca, Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs
On all fronts, cooperation is being extended and both The United States and India are taking their relationship to greater heights of mutual harmony, love, and peace. Trade between both the countries is increasing, there are more people traveling between the countries for vacations, study, and work. Along with the private sector, both the governments are taking bold new steps in fields of aviation, space, nuclear energy, and bilateral defense agenda. A strategic partnership between the United States and India is slowly but surely taking shape and transforming into reality.
A partnership between the two countries is rapidly progressing as demonstrated in the successful relief operations of the tsunami, as well as in providing for greater transparency for bilateral trade as developed in the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) process. Much needed impetus was also provided by the Open Skies Agreement which boosted enhanced flights between the two countries. The purchase of 68 Boeing aircrafts valued at $8 billion, by Air India, further cemented the economic ties between the two countries. The Indian contribution of US $5 million to the American Red Cross along with two plane loads of relief material and supplies for the victims of Hurricane Katrina was highly lauded. The United Nations Democracy Fund, which was launched at New York in September 2005, with India and US contributing to the extent of US $10 million each, also served to establish cordial bilateral relations. The Science & Technology Agreement and the US Trade Representative Portman improved better understanding amongst scientists, institutions of higher learning, captains of business and commerce, academicians, economists and intellectuals of both the countries.
President Bush recently addressed a large audience at the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre in Bangkok and spoke how his administration undertook the Asian policy. Citing the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal, he said, "Countries that share our democratic ideals should be natural partners of the United States. ... For example, America has dramatically improved ties with India, the world's largest democracy, including a historic agreement on civilian nuclear energy."
Both the governments of the United States and India, are building on shared interests and values so that purposeful actions may be implemented thus enabling both the countries to come closer and closer. India's emergence as a global power is welcomed by the United States and India accepts that the bilateral relations thus forged, shall indeed help in shaping a prosperous, free, and a safe world for the coming century. On September 21, 2004, Prime Minister Singh first met President Bush at New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session. During this time, he had said that the "best" in India-U.S. relations was "yet to come".
Indeed, every Indian on the Indian subcontinent as well as every Indian on American soil says in a resounding and a reverberating echo, "The best is yet to come!" |
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