Senate India Caucus hosts welcome event in honor of ambassador.
AB Wire
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WASHINGTON, DC: Indian Ambassador to the United States Arun Kumar Singh urged members of the Senate Caucus on India and Indian Americans and the US Senate to take the lead in taking the bilateral economic relations to the next level.
The envoy, who assumed charge on April 30, was speaking at a welcome event hosted in his honor by the Caucus at the Capitol Hill on July 23.
Singh pointed out that there is already a “tremendous convergence” and dialogue between the two countries on security and strategic issues.
“Going ahead we need to focus also on the economic dimension of the partnership,” Singh said. “We could, in the coming period, all work together to [further boost] the economic dimension of the relationship, which will take the strategic convergence to yet another level.”
The ambassador said “looking to the future, India sees itself very much as an innovation economy, and with that clearly there will be a lot of scope for partnership between us.”
Citing a recent report by the Confederation of Indian Industry and Grant Thornton, he said “ a new phenomenon” has “come in to play” in the relations: Indian investments in the United States. The report revealed that Indian companies have invested $15 billion in the United States, which have resulted in 91,000 US jobs.
“We will need to encourage investment flowing in all directions, we need to encourage more technology and innovation partnership,” Singh said.
The event was hosted by Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and John Cornyn (R-TX), co-chairs of the Caucus. It was attended by, among others, a number of senators, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Biswal, former Chief Technology Officer of the United States Aneesh Chopra and several Indian American community leaders.
In his remarks, Warner welcomed Singh — who served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian embassy here, from October 2008 to April 2013 — back to Washington and reiterated his commitment to promoting the bilateral ties.
Cornyn pointed out that the United States and India are bound by common values.
Both senators said they are working toward boost the membership of the India Caucus, which has roughly 40 members, to around 60.
Speaking on the occasion, Biswal praised Singh’s commitment to the relations. “We are incredibly fortunate that we have an ambassador from India who is deeply invested in this relationship,” she said.
“It is an exciting time [in US-India relations] because it is the time of incredible convergence,” Biswal said. “We are fortunate that in India we have a prime minister who is really invested in this relationship…We have a foreign minister and foreign secretary [who] are deeply invested in this relationship and are committed to enhancing the ties between the two countries.”
This was the second Capitol Hill welcome event hosted in honor of Singh. The House Foreign Relations Committee and the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans hosted an event for him in June.