Envoys of India and the United States have voiced their optimism that the fast-expanding relationship between the two largest democracies can set the stage for a defining partnership for the 21st century that benefits “not just our citizens but also the global commons”.
“In a world filled with economic challenges, this relationship matters more now than ever before,” Indian ambassador Arun K. Singh and US ambassador Richard Verma wrote in a joint Op-Ed piece in The Huffington Post, noting: “The fact is, we are stronger when we work together, and our collaboration in the years ahead can have a big impact upon global peace and prosperity.”
Written on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the India-US civil nuclear deal, the envoys dwelt on how the leaders of the two nations have “aggressively set out to increase our defense cooperation, create greater economic opportunities for our people and work more closely on climate change”.
The national interests of India and the US are converging on the vital issues of the day, they stressed, pointing out that the two countries have become “indispensable partners in the Asia-Pacific and the Indian Ocean regions, whether our navies are conducting anti-piracy patrols off the Horn of Africa, responding to the latest humanitarian crises or participating in an ever-growing array of military exercises”.
“The recent historic visits helped our relationship soar, moving us past old disagreements and paving the way forward for even more ambitious new collaborations,” Singh and Verma wrote, noting that the two countries “are now working on new initiatives from the outer reaches of space to the depths of the oceans”.