“On nearly every matter of strategic importance, the fundamental interests of the United States and India converge,” U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Wendy Sherman said recently on a visit to New Delhi, India. “This is . . . the basis for a sustained, productive strategic partnership . . . based on shared prosperity, democratic values, and solving global and regional problems in a complex and interconnected world.”
The ties between the United States and India are strong and growing stronger. Bilateral trade topped $90 billion in 2011, and will likely pass $100 billion this year.
The newly launched Open Government Platform draws on the talents of Indian and American software and technology innovators and developers, and reflects the desire of both countries to make government more transparent, accountable, and efficient. “The decision to share this platform with third countries, for free, shows the promise of the U.S.-India relationship to promote our common values and our vision around the world.” Under Secretary Sherman said.
In educating the next generation of leaders, the Fulbright-Nehru scholarship program has tripled in size since 2009 with over 300 awards each year to U.S. and Indian students and scholars. In June, 2012, the new Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative will announce its first eight awards for university partnerships, which will strengthen collaboration between American and Indian institutions of higher learning.
The Partnership to Advance Clean Energy, an initiative announced in 2009 to improve energy access and promote low-carbon growth has set the standard to bilateral problem solving. In four years, the United States and India have mobilized over $4 billion for clean energy development, and that number stands to increase.
In December 2011, India and the U.S. launched a trilateral dialogue with Japan which reinforces the United States’ ongoing engagement in the Asia-Pacific. “Our defense cooperation continues to expand,” Under Secretary Sherman said. “We just completed joint Army exercises [in March] that were unprecedented in their complexity and scale. [In April,] our respective navies will participate in . . . an exercise that will literally involve thousands of sailors and more than a dozen ships.”
“On nearly every matter of strategic importance, the fundamental interests of the United States and India converge.”
