“These are two men (PM Modi and Joe Biden) who have such a close friendship, the most pro-American prime minister we’ve ever seen in Indian history, the most pro-Indian president we’ve had in US history and that’s building on people who have been very strong before. I think they are representative of the people in their country…,” US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti
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 "'Most pro-American PM and most pro-Indian president': Garcetti on strong Modi-Biden ties")
US envoy Eric Garcetti. ANI
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden share a deep friendship and described them as “the most pro-American prime minister” in Indian history and “the most pro-Indian president” the US has ever seen, adding that their partnership is rooted in mutual respect and shared goals.
#WATCH | New York: US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti says, “These are two men (PM Modi and Joe Biden) who have such a close friendship, the most pro-American prime minister we’ve ever seen in Indian history, the most pro-Indian president we’ve had in US history and that’s… pic.twitter.com/hHLGsLgU5H
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024
Speaking to ANI news agency, Garcetti said, “These are two men (PM Modi and Joe Biden) who have such a close friendship, the most pro-American prime minister we’ve ever seen in Indian history, the most pro-Indian president we’ve had in US history and that’s building on people who have been very strong before. I think they are representative of the people in their country…,” said the ambassador.
He also highlighted the role of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) as a platform for promoting a unified vision in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The Quad is a powerful place to set a vision, to share principles and to come up with common solutions in the Indo-Pacific. It’s a contrast to nations that don’t want to play by the rules, don’t believe in the rule of law…,” said Garcetti.
Garcetti asserted that the US and India are committed to building proactive solutions to regional challenges, calling the ongoing collaboration a “giant step forward.”
Highlighting Quad’s role in promoting a “free, open, prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Garcetti said, “It’s not about any one nation. It’s really about these four nations and this common vision that there should be a free open, prosperous Indo-Pacific and if you look at the declaration, it underscores that from cooperating together on health care, whether it’s security and making sure our coast guards can act with each other in a way during a humanitarian disaster that can keep our people safe and protected or whether it’s looking at economic development of things like supply chains to make sure no one country can throttle those supply chains in critical minerals….”
He pointed out that the US and India have committed $1 billion towards climate solutions, addressing the vulnerabilities of nearly 900 million people in both countries.
#WATCH | New York: US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti says, “It’s not about any one nation. It’s really about these four nations and this common vision that there should be a free open, prosperous Indo-Pacific and if you look at the declaration, it underscores that from… pic.twitter.com/Eo740nObFX
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024
“So of course, other countries will look in but nobody should feel threatened by the QUAD. But the QUAD is about standing up for principles that not every country shares. It is about finding solutions to common challenges that not everybody is doing in a multilateral way and I think it is inspiring the world. The QUAD doesn’t just work in four countries, we are looking at the entire region and how we can give something to everyone…,” said the ambassador.
Garcetti also discussed recent announcements regarding security cooperation, including the integration of Coast Guard operations and military interoperability between the nations. He emphasized that the Quad is not a military alliance seeking to project power but a framework for preserving peace and prosperity across the region.
#WATCH | New York: US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti says, “There’s no question that security and peace is the most important thing for any country and for all of our people. So whether it’s the new announcement on Coast Guard integration and having our crews work together or… pic.twitter.com/lycO80pA1T
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024
“There’s no question that security and peace is the most important thing for any country and for all of our people. So whether it’s the new announcement on Coast Guard integration and having our crews work together or whether it’s the hub to allow some of our military planes and things like that to be able to interoperate, be fixed in each other’s countries that show interoperability to protect our people, but it is not first and foremost, some sort of military alliance looking to project power, it is looking to preserve peace and to make sure that we have prosperity for the entire plan….,” Garcetti said.
Reaffirming the US commitment to India’s sovereignty and diplomatic efforts, particularly in light of tensions with China, Garcetti said, “We see India as a friend and a partner, not a counterbalance.”
#WATCH | New York: US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti says, “I would say that we see India as a friend and a partner, not a counterbalance. We share the principles about borders and sovereignty, about the rule of law. We’ve stood with India on the border when there have been… pic.twitter.com/WN0b9Znp5X
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024
“We’ve stood with India on the border when there have been conflicts… We have a long history of ensuring that aggression should not be rewarded anywhere in the world. When it comes to China, we all want to have peaceful relations with China. We support India’s diplomatic interactions right now and I think it was announced…nobody should move ahead when their sovereignty is threatened. That is something that we respect and will follow India’s lead in India’s land…,” said the ambassador.
On PM Modi’s Russia and Ukraine visit, US Ambassador said that the US welcomes everyone’s cooperation and participation in peacemaking.
“Peacemaking is hard work. It requires difficult conversations with friends. I think if you start from the principle that the most important law we have in the world is the sovereignty of borders. Something India lives with every single day. It’s clear that we have to make sure that peace comes not at the expense of any country. So we welcome that participation as long as it abides by those principles of an unwarranted, unasked-for invasion of a sovereign country across that sovereign border,” said Garcetti.
Garcetti said he sees PM Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar play a critical role in resolving Russia-Ukraine war given the relations that India has had with both the countries.
#WATCH | New York: On PM Modi’s Russia and Ukraine visit, US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti says, “We welcome everyone’s cooperation and participation in peacemaking. Peacemaking is hard work. It requires difficult conversations with friends. I think if you start from the… pic.twitter.com/bNGfcNSemL
— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2024
“And if we keep those principles together, I think we welcome that because there’s going to have to be tough conversations with friends. India opens doors, sometimes the US doesn’t and vice versa… As we have seen two democracies hold two elections, it shows democracies are stronger that the rule of law does matter, that principles should rule the day…,” said the ambassador.
With inputs from agencies
