India polls will set new stage for Indo-US ties: Nancy Powell

New Delhi: The US today said the ongoing elections in India will set the stage for the next phase in Indo-US ties and rejected the views that the bilateral relationship "has fallen into the doldru".Addressing an event here, Nancy Powell, who resigned from the post of US Ambassador to India earlier this month, said "...as I close out my tenure as Ambassador to retire to my new home in Delaware. In the intervening two years, we have accomplished a great deal and we have also weathered a few stor." She also asserted it was "more important than ever" for the two countries to reaffirm the commitment to enhance cooperation in mutual security. Pointing to ongoing elections here, Powell said it "will set the stage for the next phase in our bilateral relationship....it is now more important than ever to reaffirm the commitment of our two great nations to collaborate to enhance our mutual security and prosperity."The counting of votes for the ongoing general elections will be held on May 16 and the formation of the new government will happen thereafter.Powell also expressed optimism that the relationship between India and the US will play a central role in global affairs in the decades to come. "It has become fashionable for 'pundits' to claim that the India-US relationship has fallen into the doldru. I must disagree. A relationship that is strengthening and deepening may not draw splashy headlines, but it is not headlines that should define us. Instead, I look at concrete examples of what we have accomplished," she said.Giving examples of cooperation on "strategic issues as never before", Powell said India and US have initiated a series of regional dialogues including US-India-Afghanistan bilateral and trilateral meetings and a separate trilateral with Japan."Our governments formalised bilateral cooperative efforts in off-grid energy access, nuclear safety, ultra-efficient space cooling, and shale gas development...We exchange information regularly on issues of security concern that makes us safer every day in India, in the United States, and in the world."Our militaries train and conduct exercises together in a way that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago," Powell added.The Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI) between the two countries has opened a vista where together "we could manufacture more and better defence articles" together, she said.Powell said that taking the bilateral trade to USD 500 billion would have significant impact on economies and citizens of both the countries. "To achieve this goal, however, we need to do much, much more to unlock the full economic potential of our bilateral relationship. Both countries need to implement policies that stimulate investment and trade."Some people point to the press headlines in both our countries describing challenges and frictions in our current trade relationship and are incredulous to hear us talk about the US and India reaching USD 500 billion in bilateral goods and services trade. Certainly achieving this goal will be no easy feat and could take many years to accomplish," she said.She said that while the goal will have to be attained through the actions of private companies and individuals, there is much that governments can do to facilitate its accomplishment.For example, it is important to first nurture an environment that attracts growth, she said adding all investors evaluate transparency, predictability, infrastructure, and the labour force when making business decisions."As I prepare to retire from the Foreign Service, I am truly awed at the progress India has made over the past 20 years as well as by the depth and strength of the overall US-India relationship."I look forward to the day, not too far in the future, when a successor of mine will be able to announce that the US-India bilateral trade in goods and services topped USD 500 billion," she added.In civil aviation, she said current government-to-government activity reflects US commitments to support aviation safety, security, training, and best practices."India already manufactures significant volumes of aircraft components, and the joint venture between Tata Advanced Syste and United Technologies to manufacture aerospace components showcases the possibilities of Indo-US business ties. And with India expected to become the third largest aviation market in the world by 2020, there is ample room to grow," she said.About infrastructure sector, Powell said this area is critical to India's future and it requires more than USD 1 trillion of investments in roads, rail, ports and information and communications technology infrastructure."The World Bank plans to loan USD 1 billion to India's rail sector. The US has valuable experience and technology in rail freight, with the largest railway network in the world. Let's work together to enhance India's railways".