US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Thursday said India and America are united in the fight against terrorism, and expressed satisfaction over the "increased" intelligence sharing and cooperation between the two countries to bring perpetrators to justice.
The American Dream and the Indian Dream are flip sides of the same coin, he said, adding that the relationship between the two countries was "multiplicative" and that they have responsibility beyond their borders.
Addressing a gathering on 'Peace and the role of the US - India defence and security partnership' here, Garcetti said many innocent lives were being snuffed out due to terrorism. "Both the countries face the threat from terror organisations like Lashkar, Jaish, ISIS. These terror outfits operate across borders and we must meet this threat together. Our collaboration extends beyond fighting terrorism but we must also see how we can de-radicalise communities," he said.
"We have to invest in opportunities in some of our poorest areas. We have to reach out to communities who feel they are on the brink and ensure those who threaten peace and stability face accountability. Peace is linked to prosperity," he said.
India and the USA are united in the fight against terrorism. There is increased intelligence sharing and cooperation between the two countries to bring perpetrators to justice, he added. Violence occurs if there is no prosperity and jobs, Garcetti said, stressing the need to build economic pathways. History can be brought back to life again, like the Silk Route and the Spice Route, he said. "The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) will link nations in Saudi, Mediterranean and go all the way to Europe.
The conflict in the Middle East has put a pause, but the planning continues. I would encourage the USA and India, our Gulf partners and others to see IMEC as one of the greatest things we can work on in our lifetime,' he said. The US ambassador described Mumbai as an "incredible industrial hub" that is rich with ideas and filled with people who are always looking at tomorrow differently from today. He said the Taj Hotel in Mumbai was a sacred ground and an iconic hotel that was attacked by terrorists on November 26, 2008.
"We are commemorating the 16th anniversary of the 26/11 attacks. It was here where the bravery of the country was shown," he said. According to Garcetti, discussion about Indo-US ties is not about sharing common goals, but how we get to those common goals which require principles that we articulate, partnerships that we build and practice of getting to know how we operate together. "Our relationship is not additive but multiplicative...Developing vaccines, international trade.
We aren't countries that just think what is best for us and our people, but also about the world and how the impact of what we do, whether militarily, in terms of health, climate and women's empowerment," he said. "Peace is more than defence. It is about how we build a peaceful world," he said.
Diplomacy and people-to-people contact is so critical that without them all we have is war and weaponry, the US envoy said. "To keep peace together, we have to tackle transnational threats - from trafficking to drugs. There is a need to build civil society and uplift the disempowered and minority communities.
The two great nations have responsibility beyond our borders," he said. Garcetti said the two countries are trusting each other more than ever before in defence partnership. "We have advanced India's emergence as a maintenance and repair hub for forward deployed US navy assets.
We are developing weapons together, (carrying out) research and development and co-producing more. US defence exports to India have grown from near zero in 2008 to over USD 25 billion in 2023. We aren't just selling systems to India but are making systems with India," he said.
"The United States is India's number one military exercise partner and we have expanded our joint military exercises in scale and scope from the mountains of Alaska to the Indian Ocean," he said. The American Dream and the Indian Dream are flip sides of the same coin and both countries must define technologies and emphasise people, Garcetti said.
The two countries are democracies based on the idea of dignity of every human being. Democracy thrives when everybody thrives within it, he said. He said the G20 summit hosted by India last year was the most successful one ever held.
Paying homage to former US president Jimmy Carter, who passed away recently, Garcetti said that as the 39th president of the US, Carter came to India in 1978 and delivered a speech in Parliament. "His mother came here to Maharashtra to work with leprosy patients at the age of 68 and became a role model to show that service doesn't stop when you enter your 7th decade," he said. "Peace is not just something you accomplish.
Peace is something you must build every single day. President Carter did that in public and private life...Whether it was achieving Middle East peace when few thought it was possible or whether it was housing for the poor through Habitat for Humanity. He lived his life breathing and living peace," he added.
