New Delhi, June 11: India and the US along with other Quad nations will collaborate closely under a newly launched maritime initiative for the Indo-Pacific to make a vital contribution to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region, US Chargè D’Affaires Patricia Lacina has said.
At a summit in Tokyo last month, the Quad leaders launched the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) which is primarily aimed at monitoring regional waters against the backdrop of China’s increasing muscle-flexing in the region.
In an address at an event to celebrate the 246th American Independence Day on Friday night, Lacina delved into the overall trajectory of the US-India ties and said that the two countries are collaborating across nearly every field of endeavour to improve the lives of their people and contribute to the global good.
“Along with our Quad partners the United States and India will collaborate closely in the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) which will make a vital contribution to the peace, stability, and prosperity so important to the greater good of the Indo-Pacific community,” she said.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra attended the event. In his remarks, Kwatra said India-US relations have transformed in recent decades and that the global comprehensive strategic partnership “currently spans pretty much 360-degree engagement”.
He said the “deep-rooted cooperation between our two countries has been a source of stability and prosperity” across the region and the globe.
Referring to the US-led initiative of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), Lacina said it presented a “transformative new vision” for economies throughout the region and will ensure that open and rules-based markets will continue to sustain a rising wave of prosperity.
US President Joe Biden launched the IPEF ahead of the Quad summit in Tokyo with an aim to strengthen economic partnership with the objective of enhancing resilience, inclusiveness, economic growth, fairness, and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the Indo-Pacific leaders who attended the launch of the initiative.
“As you all can see, the US-India partnership at 75 is strong and getting stronger. What we do together today will pave the way for the next 25 years, and continue to improve the lives our peoples, the Indo-Pacific region, and the world,” the US Chargè D’Affaires said.
She said the US and India — the world’s oldest and largest democracies — share common values such as equality, and the right to life and liberty, and they form the bedrock of the relationship.
“When President Biden and Prime Minister Modi met in Tokyo last month, they renewed our countries’ commitment to a bilateral relationship rooted in a shared tradition of democracy and equal opportunity for all citizens,” Lacina said.
“United in this shared vision, we are tackling some of the world’s most pressing challenges together. From fighting the climate crisis to leading the global pandemic response, to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific, the US and India are collaborating across nearly every field of endeavour to improve the lives of our peoples and contribute to the global good,” she said.
The US Chargè D’Affaires said the India-US partnership at 75 demonstrates how vital it has been in realising a more prosperous, free, connected, and secure world, and how much potential there is for the partnership to grow further.
“But our relationship far transcends our government-to-government engagement. The deep bonds between our peoples are the sinew that binds us together,” she said.
“From Silicon Valley to Bengaluru, Hyderabad to Boston, and Mumbai to New York, our companies, students, entrepreneurs and civil society grow ever more closely linked to the great benefit of bout our countries,” Lacina said.
The Chargè D’Affaires also noted the maritime cooperation between the two sides.
“Last October, I had the opportunity to join the US Chief of Naval Operations and the Indian Chief of Naval Staff aboard the USS Carl Vinson off the coast of India during Exercise Malabar,” she said.
“I saw first-hand the cooperation between our two navies at sea – an example of what we can accomplish when we work together to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific,” she added. (PTI)
