WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and former U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma hailed the tremendous strides in bilateral relations between the United States and India as “inconceivable” a few decades back. In a speech delivered to Hudson Institute, where he spoke at an event titled “The United States & India: Milestones Reached and the Pathway Ahead,” Verma asserted both the two nations have effectively moved beyond historic hesitations.
Referring to remarks by Indian Prime Minister Modi, Verma said, “We are now entering about a quarter century of progress – progress that was unimaginable only a few decades ago.” He acknowledged the geopolitical divisions during the cold war have significantly hampered cooperation and saw nearly a generation of lost opportunities from the mid-1960s to the late 1990s. “But as Prime Minister Modi has rightly pointed out, we have now overcome those hesitations of history,” he added.
It’s because of the substantial policy changes in both New Delhi and Washington that there has been a positive evolution of the U.S.-India ties, according to Verma. Strong leadership and innovative approaches in the critical areas of energy, security, and trade have been crucial for this cooperation, he added: “We also faced collective threats to the post-world-war II order that spurred much of our new alignment and renewed cooperation,” he said.
An important factor in this improving relationship is the efforts of millions from both countries who, through travel, education, research, and entrepreneurship, have tried to enhance ties. According to Verma, four-and-a-half million Americans of Indian origin make a tremendous contribution across all sectors in the U.S.
He also highlighted the need for defense cooperation. He underlined the fact that India is uniquely placed as the “Major Defense Partner of the United States.” He said the position indicated important bipartisan support for the U.S.-India relationship in Congress and mutual understanding from the armed forces.
Verma has also put emphasis on the Quad grouping, which comprises the U.S., India, Japan, and Australia; more particularly as it focuses on the Indo-Pacific region. He confirmed that the U.S. supports India’s aspiration to be part of the United Nations Security Council as a permanent member of the Council. “Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, our Ambassador to the United Nations, has called for India to earn a permanent seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council. We welcome and support India assuming a greater global leadership role in key institutions.”
But Verma warns that complacency should be avoided: despite the success in the U.S.-India relationship, challenges remain and he underlined vigilance, indicating that success so far should not lull because of the pursuit by both nations for a more robust relationship.
