As India and the United States kicked off their inaugural Strategic and Commercial Dialogue, Vice President Joe Biden held out the assurance that his country wanted to be India's "best friend" in world affairs.
"This relationship will go a long way towards defining the 21st century, and that is not hyperbole," Biden said at a high-profile event hosted by the US-India Business Council on the eve of deliberations under the elevated dialogue process, remarking: "Our goal is to become India's best friend."
Highlighting the need for India to unfold more economic reforms at this "propitious moment for US-India relationship", Biden said quick action on this front will help India tap the unlimited potential for growth.
"There's no reason why we can't multiply our overall trade and investment," Biden said, adding that additional reforms could help expand bilateral trade five-fold to $500 billion over the next decade.
The US for its part will do everything it can to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious economic initiatives, Biden said at the event that also marked the 40th anniversary of USIBC.
"The two nations should work together as strategic partners to bring about a safer and a more prosperous world," he said, commenting: "It's no longer about what we can do for India, it's about what we can do with India, what we can do together."
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who co-chairs the dialogue with Secretary of State John Kerry, echoed Biden's feelings as she spoke of a relationship between two open societies that is "defined by a natural synergy of democracies".
Under Prime Minister Modi's dynamic stewardship, relations with the US
have witnessed a dramatic upsurge, Swaraj said and called upon Corporate America to take advantage of the big opportunities provided by a fast-growing India.
"We have harnessed commonalities between our two countries to further bilateral priorities in several areas, including defence and security, countering terrorism and extremism, clean energy and environmental protection, science and technology and space," she said.