US Ambassador to India Richard Rahul Verma has hailed Prime Minsiter Narendra Modi’s diplomatic efforts to reach out to all the players in the region and stated that this has signalled India’s increasing dominance at the global stage.
“In foreign policy India has been on the move. In the past year the Prime Minister has reached out not just to the United States, but has visited over 18 countries and 33 cities,” US Ambassador to India Richard Rahul Verma has said.
“He (Modi) is signalling that India will be a player on the global stage for years to come and we welcome and support that global leadership role – politically, economically and in global institutions,” Verma said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
Not only did Varma appreciate the Modi government’s active role to reach out to neighbouring countries like Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Nepal, but he also lauded India’s search and rescue operation in earthquake struck Nepal as well as war-torn Yemen.
There have been visits to Mauritius and the Seychelles, demonstrating that India wants to play an active role in the Indian Ocean, he said.
“We have also been heartened and grateful for the leadership India has shown in the face of recent crises.
India’s response to the devastating earthquake in Nepal has been remarkable,” Verma said.
“In a similar gesture, India rushed to provide fresh water assistance to the Maldives when its water treatment facility ceased operating,” said Verma, the first Indian-American head of the US mission in India.
Talking about India’s ‘Act East’ agenda, Verma stated that India has strengthened bilateral ties with Asian powers. “The Prime Minister has been working closely with (Japanese) Prime Minister Abe in recognition of India’s shared interests with Japan, visited Australia, and made a historic trip to Fiji,” the envoy said.
The envoy also mentioned about Obama-Modi Summit and said, “We are tracking 77 different initiatives that came out of the January Obama-Modi Summit, in fields that range from defense cooperation to health and renewable energy,” he said.
“The Joint Strategic Vision on the Indo-Pacific region we announced during the President’s visit outlined ways our two nations can come together in the region to further the prospects for greater prosperity, peace and stability,” he said.
“Our two democracies are demonstrating how the region can work collaboratively towards a better future, based on respect for a rules-based order and the peaceful resolution of disputes. As the Prime Minister recently said, it?s not just what the US and India can do for each other, but what we can do for the world,” Verma further added.