At a recent public event on Wednesday, the US’ Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, hailed the “natural friendship and real partnership” between the two countries, calling for greater maritime defence cooperation.
At the event hosted by the Asia Society Policy Institute, Garcetti said that India and the US “are collaborating on nearly every human endeavour” and that their projects “will change the world.”
Cooperation in the Pacific Ocean
Noting that the US-India partnership “is anchored in the common values” of “freedom; respect for sovereignty and for all humankind,” Garcetti expressed hope that the countries will soon work together across the Pacific.
In a veiled reference to China, Garcetti said: “We can stand together against those who would upend the common good for their own benefit. We can stand together for choice, resisting coercion. We can stand together as a force for stability to avert regional and global crises.”
Our partnership is anchored in the common values we cherish – freedom; respect for sovereignty and for all humankind. In turn, our partnership can anchor the region and deliver benefits on a massive scale. pic.twitter.com/w5AowfQ8t3
— U.S. Ambassador Eric Garcetti (@USAmbIndia) June 29, 2023
“We can deploy our ships together in the Pacific and Indian oceans, and even beyond, to ensure maritime security. We can employ our air forces across the Indo-Pacific region to ensure freedom of the skies and the seas, and to jointly respond to humanitarian crises from the Sahara to the Pacific Islands,” he asserted.
In addition, the diplomat said that the two “major defence partners” can coordinate their “land-force exercises across regions to bolster the sovereign defence of all countries” willing to work together.
Collaboration in Space
Referring to the recently signed Artemis Accords, which Indian PM Narendra Modi signed during his trip to Washington, the diplomat said that the two countries are also “working towards human spaceflight cooperation.”
Garcetti said that “in the coming months and years, we’ll see NASA and ISRO astronauts and scientists working, training, and exploring side-by-side, honing our understanding of space and of the planet we call home.”
“We’re deepening private sector cooperation on space and harmonising our regulatory and licensing standards,” he stated.