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What have been the tangible outcomes of the recent Indo-US Strategic Dialogue?
The Strategic Dialogue meetings in Washington from June 1-4 highlighted the importance of the US-India partnership, and offered an unprecedented opportunity to look ahead and plan strategically for our shared future.
One of the primary goals of this dialogue was to expand existing areas of defence and security cooperation, and we succeeded in that.
We also identified ways to enhance infrastructure development in India, jointly combat the effects of climate change and secure a future with sustainable energy, pursue greater collaboration on technology and innovation, and work together to build a safe and stable Afghanistan.
President Obama wants to elevate our relations with India. He feels that India is going to be one of our most important partners in the 21st century. There is bipartisan consensus in the United States that India’s rise is very much in our strategic national interest.
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The Strategic Dialogue offers a new, overarching framework for bringing our two great democracies closer together on a wide range of common concerns, touching on bilateral, regional and global issues.
At the joint press-conference on the conclusion of the inaugural Indo-US Strategic Dialogue, US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, when asked said that the dialogue represented both continuity and change. Please elaborate?
The US and India have laid a strong foundation for a growing partnership, and the Obama administration is building on the successes of the prior two administrations in elevating US-India relations to an unprecedented level of cooperation. The goal of this dialogue was to continue what we’ve already begun, while also further broadening our areas of cooperation — in defence, in counter-terrorism initiatives, in infrastructure and high-tech innovation, expanding trade and investment, and in promoting a secure and sustainable energy future.
While building on past successes, it is also important to note that we are breaking new ground. For the first time, we have a whole-of-government approach where we have multiple ministers on both sides talking together about how we can advance our bilateral partnership and tackle the most pressing global issues. There isn’t a global challenge in the world today that would not benefit from greater common engagement by the US and India.
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