IND-USA | Business Upturn

India welcomes confirmation of the new ‘US Ambassador to India’

United News of India (UNI) — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 14:19:09 +0000

New Delhi, Mar 16 : India on Thursday welcomed the confirmation of former Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti as the US’ Ambassador to India and said it looks forward to working with him to take forward the multi-faceted bilateral ties.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, answering questions on the issue, also said that a viral video showing some comments by Ambassador-designate Garcetti purportedly saying at a Senate hearing that he will actively take up the issue of human rights in India if confirmed for the post, is “pretty old”.

“We welcome the confirmation of Mr Eric Garcetti as Ambassador to India and we look forward to working with him to take forward our multi-faceted bilateral relations,” said the spokesperson.

To a question on Garcetti seen saying in the viral video that alleged human rights violations in India would be at the centre of his tenure, the spokesperson said: “I am not aware of any comments by Ambassador-designate Eric Garcetti recently on this issue. I think there is something on social media, which is pretty old.”

He added “Our position on many of the issues is well known to the world.”

Last year in April, after the India-US 2+2 meeting, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had remarked about a “rise in human rights abuses” in India. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a sharp rebuttal had said that while people are entitled to have views about India’s policies, New Delhi is “equally entitled” to have views about them.

On Wednesday, the US Senate voted 52-42 to confirm former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be the next US ambassador to India.

Garcetti will be the first permanent ambassador to India under President Joe Biden.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, Garcetti is purportedly seen stating that he will “actively engage” with civil society groups working on democracy in India if he is confirmed, and that the Citizenship Amendment Act (2019) will be a “core part” of what he plans to take up with his Indian counterparts.

To another query, on the bipartisan resolution moved by US Senators Bill Hagerty and Jeff Merkley reaffirming the US’ recognition of Arunachal Pradesh as an “integral part of the Republic of India”, the MEA spokesperson said that they are finding out the details of the resolution. He added they have not heard anything specific on it from the US government, and that the resolution had only been tabled as of now.

“We have seen reports of such a resolution in the US Senate. We are finding out the details. But we have not seen anything specific on this from the American government. For now we are seeing the details of the resolution, it has only been tabled so far,” Bagchi said.

On Wednesday, US Senators Bill Hagerty and Jeff Merkley introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution reaffirming the US’ recognition of Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India and condemned China’s military aggression to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Business Upturn staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The fourth 2+2 speak among India and the U.S. might be held in November: Foreign Secretary Shringla

News Desk — Sat, 04 Sep 2021 11:54:59 +0000

The fourth annual 2+2 speak among India and the U.S. might be held in November this year in Washington, in step with Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. Shringla, who arrived right here on a three-day go to on September 1 following his a hit journey to New York, said — “We used this possibility to have the 2+2 inter-sessional assembly on the joint secretary level. We’re searching on the 2+2 so one can appear in November.The actual dates are not but laboured out,” Shringla informed a set of Indian journalists on September three at the belief of his go-to. During his stay in Washington, Shringla held conferences with pinnacle officers of the Biden administration, inclusive of Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The 2+2 ministerial speak takes vicinity among overseas and defence ministers of each side.

The inaugural ‘2+2’ Indo-U.S. speak turned into held in New Delhi in 2018. The ultimate assembly of the 2+2 turned into held in New Delhi and the following assembly is to be hosted via way of means of the United States. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh might be hosted via way of means of their American opposite numbers Secretary of State Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin for the maiden India-U.S. 2+2 assembly below the Biden administration.

In addition to being working on the difficulty of Afghanistan, the 2 nations, at some stage in Shringla’s visit, had an in-depth verbal exchange on nearby and multilateral troubles inclusive of the United Nations and the approaching Quadrilateral summit right here later this 12 months. Quad is a grouping of the United States, India, Australia and Japan. The 4 nations had in 2017 given form to the long-pending inspiration of putting in the “Quad” or the Quadrilateral coalition to counter China’s competitive behaviour withinside the Indo-Pacific location.

U.S. Special Envoy on Climate Change John Kerry is likewise scheduled to go to India soon, Shringla said. India and the U.S. on 3rd September reaffirmed the energy in their defence courting underscoring their dedication to bolstering bilateral and multilateral cooperation for a loose and open Indo-Pacific location as Shringla met Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Colin H. Kahl. They additionally mentioned Afghanistan and a number of nearby troubles of shared interest, in addition to key regions of defence cooperation throughout the Indo-Pacific and western Indian Ocean location.

India to become global market leader in solar and storage by 2040: John Kerry

Meemansa Shekhawat — Tue, 06 Apr 2021 15:12:11 +0000

According to the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry on Tuesday, April 6, “Recent International Energy Agency’s report on India noted that you are on pace to become the global market leader in solar and storage by 2040. Thanks to your rapid scale-up, it is already cheaper to build solar energy in India than anywhere else in the world.”

John Kerry praised PM Modi for his vision of a growing economy with clean energy. He said, “Prime Minister Modi’s announcement of a target of 450 GW of renewables by 2030 sets a very strong example of power how to power a growing economy with clean energy,” quotes ANI.

Recent International Energy Agency's special report on India noted that you are on pace to become global market leader in solar & storage by 2040. Thanks to your rapid scale-up, it is already cheaper to build solar energy in India than anywhere else in the world: John Kerry https://t.co/3vRS3q7S5R

— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2021

He further adds, “Indian industry is already stepping up & demonstrating leadership. I was very pleased to hear that dozens of India’s biggest companies recently signed a declaration on climate change, pledging to go carbon neutral,” as quoted by ANI.

Indian industry is already stepping up & demonstrating leadership. I was very pleased to hear that dozens of India's biggest companies recently signed a declaration on climate change, pledging to go carbon neutral: US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry pic.twitter.com/ZYnP0ivdTa

— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2021

Kerry also considers India as a red hot investment opportunity because of its clean energy transition. Well, John Kerry is on his visit to the Indian Capital since the 5^th of April. The excursion is for 4 days and Kerry will be holding a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as the environment minister Prakash Javdekar.

A spokesperson at the US Embassy in New Delhi said, “In New Delhi, Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry will meet with the representatives of the Indian government, private sector, and non-government organizations.”; as per the reports of Zee News.

Also, according to the sources, during the 4-days visit, Kerry will be meeting the cabinet ministers such as External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jayshankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.