Washington: Terming India-US relations as one of the most defining partnerships, a senior Biden administration official showered praise on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, hailing him as “incredibly talented” and an “architect” of modern India-US relations.
Richard Verma, the Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources and the highest-ranking Indian-American ever in the US State Department, made these remarks on Saturday at an event held at the Indian Embassy to celebrate the diversity and vibrancy of Indian culture and the India-US relationship.
“It’s one of the most consequential relationships of this century. Do we have disagreements? You bet. Will we have bumps in the road? Of course. But two close friends aligned with these shared values, bound together by the great ideas of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King…this is a partnership with staying power, with real impact, and one that will continue to exert significant influence in the world.”
The former envoy also praised Mr. Jaishankar as the architect behind the modern US-India relationship and expressed confidence that US-India strategic ties have strengthened during his tenure.
“I have known (Jaishankar) for a long time in various capacities, and I can confidently say that he is the architect of modern US-India relations. We would not be in the strong position we are today without the leadership of the External Affairs Minister,” Mr. Verma stated during his public address.
Mr. Jaishankar visited the US from September 22 to September 30, during which he addressed the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. In Washington, Mr. Jaishankar held meetings with several top US officials, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Ambassador Katherine Tai, and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
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