Kerry also hinted at some of the challenges impacting India’s relationship with the US.
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Later, speaking to students, Kerry commented about the election season in the USA where Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are slugging it out.
“So once this assessment is completed, we will be able to say something about it”, the spokesman said at a time when the Indian Minister for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj told Senator Kerry that “talks with Pakistan will happen only when it takes steps on the Pathankot terror attack” since “terror and talks can not go hand-in-hand”.
That call for support came as Washington and New Delhi called on Islamabad to bring the perpetrators of Mumbai 2008 and Pathankot 2016 attackers to justice. “I don’t know how you got here, by boat or amphibious vehicle, but I salute you”, he said.
On the issue of tackling terrorism in the region, Kerry it is “clear” that Pakistan has a lot of work to do “in order to push harder against its indigenous groups that are engaged in terrorist activities”.
“You have to have sensible regulations and your bureaucracy needs to be streamlined and effective — a partner in making decisions, not an expert in setting up roadblocks”.
India announced on Wednesday a plan to allow foreign investors to settle, emulating policies in countries such as the United States and Singapore to woo investment from overseas.
“We must strike at the root causes of violent extremism and we have to work hard to understand the different variations of causes”.
Furthermore, a detailed discussion on Afghanistan and regional developments were held and an agreement on supporting the National Unity Government in Afghanistan was concluded.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said she would look into India’s concerns over an increase in visa fee for professionals that New Delhi has protested, arguing it is a barrier to the movement of workers.
“Chief among them are terrorist organisations such as Daesh (the IS), Al Qaeda, Lashkar-e Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad”. The world is moving in a profoundly transformative way, because of technology (it is a huge benefit and disruptor).
“The US and India will have to keep faith in our democratic values and uphold the freedom that defines our countries”, Kerry said a gathering at the IIT here. “More than 50,000 people have been killed”. Everyone is seeing what each person is saying.
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The situation in Afghanistan will also be discussed, the official said, amid closer ties between India and Afghanistan, which is likely to aggravate fears in Pakistan of being wedged between two hostile neighbors.
