U.S. president Barack Obama on Tuesday supported India’s candidature for membership of the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as he discussed with prime minister Narendra Modi ways to take the bilateral ties to new heights.
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Reflecting on the strong educational and cultural bonds between the two countries, Modi and Obama welcomed the growing number of Indian students studying in the U.S. which increased by 29 per cent to almost 1,33,000 students in 2014-2015.
“.I think the bottom line for us is that we believe that through engagement with India and through engagement with groups like the NSG, we are in a better position to support India as a good citizen on these issues”, Rhodes said.
A spectrum of issues from security to defence to economics to climate change will figure prominently during Prime Minister Modi’s 2-day visit to US.
Modi, who rose to prominence as a leader of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, was denied a visa to visit the U.S.in 2005, three years after religious riots killed more than 1,000 Muslims in the western state of Gujarat, where he was then the top official.
Prime minister Modi thanked Obama for extending support to India on issues such as Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
“India will be opening a new consulate in Seattle and the United States will open a new consulate at a mutually agreed location in India”, the joint statement said. The agreement enters into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 percent of global emissions have joined it.
Modi will also be feted at a reception hosted by the House and Senate foreign relations committees and the India caucus.
A senior U.S. lawmaker also raised concerns over India’s human rights record last week, noting that the 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report indicated that Indian officials at various government levels were complicit in human trafficking.
The Prime Minister said India today is the fastest growing economy of the world and that the two countries should cooperate more in new areas.
Indian officials recognize how important the climate change issue is to this White House but have some concerns about the continuity of US policy if a Republican wins the White House in November, said Tanvi Madan, director of the India Project at the Brookings Institution.
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, and Westinghouse confirmed engineering and site design work will begin immediately and contractual arrangements will be completed by June 2017.
The two governments also said they had finalized the text of a defense logistics agreement to make it easier for their militaries to operate together.
Modi and Obama seem to have forged a bond.
Prime Minister Modi and President Barack Obama, share a special relationship that has greatly enhanced strategic ties between the largest and oldest democracies.
The respect is particularly sweet in Washington.
Prior to Switzerland, he visited Afghanistan and Qatar.
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PM Modi is now on a three-day USA visit.
