The United States on Tuesday, 9 February, termed India a “leading global power” and said that it was “one of the most important partners in the Indo-Pacific region” for them.
Addressing a press briefing on Tuesday, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said, “India is one of the most important partners in the Indo-Pacific region to us. We welcome India’s emergence as a leading global power and its role as a net security provider in the region.”
He also said that the US and India cooperate on a wide range of diplomatic and security issues.
Price also said that he was confident about the relationship between the two countries.
“I think I would start by saying the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership is both broad as well as multifaceted. We’ll continue to engage at the highest levels of our government to deepen cooperation on many fronts, and we are confident that the strong and upward trajectory of our partnership will, in fact, continue,” he said.
The State Department spokesperson also mentioned the human rights situation in India with regard to the CAA and farmers’ protests and said that the US was “committed to supporting democratic values, including a free and open civil society and the strong rule of law.” He added that the US regularly engages with the Government of India on the two countries’ shared commitment to democratic values.
Speaking about the India-China border standoff, Price said that the US was closely monitoring the situation.
“We note the ongoing talks between the governments of India and China, and we continue to support direct dialogue and a peaceful resolution of those border disputes. We are concerned by Beijing’s pattern of ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbours. As always, we’ll stand with friends, we’ll stand with partners, we’ll stand with allies to advance our shared prosperity, security, and values, in this case, the Indo-Pacific,” he said.
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