Washington : Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Barack Obama next week, the two countries have decided to further deepen their security and economic cooperation and increase bilateral trade five-fold to $ 500 billion.
US Secretary of State John Kerry and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj co-chaired the first India-US Strategic and Commercial Dialogue that ended with the important takeaway of a joint statement on combating terrorism, reinforcing commercial ties and securing access to US inward investment and technology.
The dialogue also helped the two countries move towards the goal of making their ties the defining relationship of the 21st century and increase bilateral trade from $ 100 billion to $ 500 billion a year. Kerry said the US-India relationship is a “bright spot on the international landscape and is one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world.” “President Obama and our entire administration are strongly committed to this relationship, to this friendship. And President Obama looks forward to meeting with Prime Minister Modi next week in New York,” he said at a joint press conference with Swaraj after the meeting here on Tuesday. Briefing about the meeting, he said, “We have concluded a very significant Memorandum of Understanding on energy security, climate change, and clean energy.”
“We have renewed our joint commitment to maritime security, international law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions,” he said, adding that the two countries will implement measures to deepen their cooperation against international terrorism, which has claimed too many lives in both the nations.
Swaraj said the joint statement reiterates commitment of the two countries on common approach against terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, Haqqani network and the D-Company.
