The much awaited meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama took place at the White House last night to get to know each other. President Obama hosted a private dinner for Modi.
MEA Spokesman Sayed Akbaruddin said, serious issues will be taken up when the two leaders meet again. Both the leaders felt the need to strengthen and widen the relationship. The two leaders will pen a joint editorial in a leading newspaper.
Prime Minister presented Obama several personal gifts including a Geeta by Mahatma Gandhi and a rare recording from All India Radio of Martin Luther King’s speech. A Vision Statement for the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership – A Chalein Saath Saath, forward together we go- says that the United States and India will have a transformative relationship as trusted partners in the 21st century and the partnership will be a model for the rest of the world.
Issued to coincide with the first ever meeting between Modi and Obama, the statement said, as leaders of two great democratic nations with diverse traditions and faiths, they share a vision for a partnership in which the United States and India work together, not just for the benefit of both nations, but for the benefit of the world.
It said, the two countries have vastly different histories, but both our founders sought to guarantee freedoms that allow our citizens to determine their own destiny and pursue their personal aspirations. The strategic partnership rests on the shared mission to provide equal opportunity for our people through democracy and freedom.
The currents of kinship and commerce, scholarship and science tie the two countries together. They allow them to rise above differences by maintaining the long-term perspective.
The strategic partnership is a joint endeavor for prosperity and peace. Through intense consultations, joint exercises, and shared technology, security cooperation will make the region and the world safe and secure. Together, they will combat terrorist threats and keep homelands and citizens safe from attacks, while responding expeditiously to humanitarian disasters and crises.
We will prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and remain committed to reducing the salience of nuclear weapons, while promoting universal, verifiable, and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament.
The statement says, US and India will support an open and inclusive rules-based global order, in which India assumes greater multilateral responsibility, including in a reformed United Nations Security Council. It says, Climate change threatens both the countries, and they will join together to mitigate its impact and adapt to changing environment.
They wowed to ensure that economic growth in both the countries brings better livelihoods and welfare for all of people.
The United States and India agreed to expand and deepen their strategic partnership in order to harness the inherent potential of the two democracies and the burgeoning ties between their people, economies, and businesses.
Together we seek a reliable and enduring friendship that bolsters security and stability, contributes to the global economy, and advances peace and prosperity for our citizens and throughout the world.
