US, India share number of interests and values: Biden administration
The United States has a number of shared interests and shared values with India, and this was reiterated during the recent visit of the Secretary of State Antony Blinken to New Delhi, his spokesperson said Monday.
“I think you heard from us at the time, it was the Secretary's first opportunity as Secretary of State to travel to India. It was also an opportunity for us to explore ways that we can strengthen and deepen the comprehensive global strategic partnership that we have, with India,” State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference.
“The other point that we made, is that we have a number of shared interests and shared values with the government of India,” he said responding to a question on the recent visit of Blinken to India.
“We have talked about this in terms of our economic ties, in terms of our trade ties, in terms of our cooperation on climate, in terms of regional security issues, in terms of India's role as an important member of the Quad and our joint cooperation to put an end to the COVID-19 pandemic, including with the enhanced vaccine production capability that the Quad arrived at earlier this year,” Price said.
President Joe Biden is “very much looking forward” to a leader-level Quad summit later this year, he said.
But, with all that, America’s relationship with India is one that also extends to the Indian people.
“The ties between the American people and the Indian people are deep, they're enduring, they are predicated on familial ties, they are predicated on mutual respect for one another's heritage and culture. These are also ties that were on full display, during not only the meetings with our government counterparts but also with elements of civil society and the secretary as he almost always does, had an opportunity to visit the embassy, in New Delhi,” he said.
“And to thank not only the American diplomats who are there but also the Indian national who are so important and so vital to our mission to deepen and strengthen that comprehensive global strategic partnership,” he added.
(With PTI inputs)
