San Jose: The third one-on-one interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama in a year has "renewed" the momentum between the two largest democracies of the world, America's top diplomat in India has said ahead of the two leaders meeting on Monday. Obama is "very much" looking forward to his meeting with Modi in New York next week, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Saturday.
This past year, since the President was in India, how greatly "expanded, deepened and broadened" the relationship has become in so many areas from strategic to economic to clean energy, he said The third Obama-Modi meeting in a year signifies the importance of the ties and the huge values that both countries put in the relationship, kind of "renewed momentum" in the bilateral ties and "some real closeness between us" the head of states through the government, Verma said.
"I see it (renewed momentum) across the board. I see it in defence and security partnership. I see it in clean energy and renewable energy. I see it in our infrastructure and smart cities and health," he told a group of Indian reporters. "It is important that the two of them get together to take stock of the progress that has been made and where they want to take the relationship from here," Verma said. Co-operation has also started in new areas.
"I have seen renewed momentum in space," he said, referring the statement of Secretary of State John Kerry after the recently concluded Strategic and Commercial Dialogue. "I do not know, if we do so much with any other country," Kerry had said.
Verma said there is "real commitment" in the Modi Government to improve the ease of doing business. "We did a study this past summer, to look at the investment trends, two way trade numbers bilaterally. They are all very strong. We are heading in a very good direction," he said.
"Could we bring quicker in innovation and technology to have a bigger social impact? We can. I think that's part of the visit is about, drawing upon the best minds of Silicon Valley with the best minds in India and bringing some innovative solutions to bear to challenges both of our people face. That's very important part of the visit," Verma said.
He said Modi has made a "real strategic and economic commitment" to the US and Obama has made a similar commitment as well. "Our partnership is about more than one person, either side. I go back to the shared values we have between the two countries," the top American diplomat added.
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