“There is a lot unfolding at this moment,” said US Secretary of State John Kerry while talking about Indo-US relations. Kerry said that both countries are working on the issue of terrorism, clean energy, civil nuclear deal and defence projects amongst other things. This is Kerry’s second visit to India in six months.
Kerry was on two-day visit to Gujarat to attend seventh Vibrant Gujarat summit, a business conclave conceived and popularised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was chief minister of the state. Kerry’s Gujarat visit is seen as a curtain-raiser before the President Barrack Obama’s visit later in January and also signals that America is all set to engage with Modi and his developmental plans.
Kerry said that Obama is the first American President to visit India twice while in office. He said President Obama’s second visit shows the “value that both countries place on criticality of the relationship”. Kerry had bilateral talks with PM Modi in Gandhinagar on Sunday.
“I think the prime minister made it very clear that he wants to move rapidly to make things happen in India,” Kerry said. On Monday, Kerry visited the Ford India factory in Sanad near Ahmedabad. On Sunday, he visited the Sabarmati Ashram which was founded by Mahatma Gandhi in Ahmedabad. He also addressed the CEO conclave along with Modi. He spoke on climate change and clean energy. He said that in last seven months he has met Modi three times and he knows that PM not only understands but is committed to the issues of climate change.
Kerry said America is in support of PM’s ambitious plan to supply 24/7 electricity to the people of India. In the coming months both countries will work on issues of climate change and it will be the topic of discussion between Modi and Obama too. In the winter of 2015, there will be a landmark agreement in Paris on climate change. India and the US are debating the issue.
Kerry said India and US are working to insure maritime security and freedom of navigation. In the diplomatic world freedom of navigation is mentioned these days in reference of issue of South China Sea where China is having tensions with other neighbouring countries. Kerry also said that both counties are strengthening their partnership in combating terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and piracy.
Kerry said both countries want to see progress on four issues -- climate change, defence agreement, as well as civil nuclear agreement and economic partnership.
While Kerry’s presence was the highlight in Gandhinagar the guests also saw there was no Chinese presence on the dais. Leaders from the US, UK, Australia, Japan and many other countries were present along with Modi on the dias but the Chinese business leaders didn’t attend the event. However, a few Chinese businessmen were present in the audience.
Kerry, while interacting with the media before leaving for Pakistan, said that the US is planning to finance clean energy projects in India. Both countries are working on a $1 billion joint import-export bank too. Besides trade and investment co-operation both countries are jointly working on the mars project as well. Another major area of co-operation is maritime security.
Kerry’s talk made it clear that in the defence and energy sector America plans to capture substantial business during Modi’s regime.
While taking about Vibrant Gujarat, Kerry said, “I am impressed by what I have seen here at the Vibrant Gujarat conference. The enthusiasm of the people, excitement and possibility of engagement and doing business with not just with United States but worldwide is palpable here. You can touch it,” he said.
Kerry said there is, “very special significance of Gujarat as it is the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and the home state of the prime minister.”
The Vibrant Gujarat event this year was changing its colour and trying to wear Indian robes. Obviously, to get Kerry or UN Chief Ban Ki-Moon or World Bank chief Jim Yong Kim would have been difficult for Gujarat Chief Minister Anadiben Patel.
When asked how Indo-US relations will help Gujarat in particular, Kerry said, “Gujarat has the opportunity to gain significantly. Gujarat has already been taking the initiative. Prime Minister Modi made his reputation in Gujarat. He made it by building efficiency, by making government decisions faster. If that can be extrapolated in the rest of India then everybody will benefit.”
While elaborating on America and India’s scope of engagement Kerry said he has seen first-hand the transformation in Indo-US relationship as well as the ups and downs in the relationship.
As a Senator he had visited India with a trade delegation soon after economic reforms were introduced with a trade delegation and had met Dr Manmohan Singh, then finance minister. Kerry says the world’s oldest and largest democracy is “finally beginning to captalise on our connections to each other.”
He said you can’t get more graphic statement of transformation of the Indo-US relationship than what he saw in the Ford factory in Gujarat where the American company has made investment of $1 billion (about Rs 6,200 crore). It will not only make cars for the domestic market but for export too.
He said that Indian investment in US has grown from $300 million (about Rs 1,860 crore) to $9 billion (about Rs 55,800 crore) and American investment in India has grown from $2.4 billion (about Rs 14,880 crore) to $28 billion (about Rs 173,600 crore) today.
Kerry said he and Modi did discuss ‘challenges’ that they have to take the relationship even further. However, he didn’t elaborate the challenges coming in-between growth of Indo-US relations.
Kerry, who was criticised for not representing the US in the Paris Unity march, said, “I would have personally very much wanted to be in Paris but could not do so because of the commitment I had here and it is very important to keep this kind of commitments.”
Image: Narendra Modi meets John Kerry at the Vibrant Gujarat summit
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