India, U.S. Positioned To Embark On Closely Collaborative Path: S Jaishankar

WASHINGTON: India and the U.S. are positioned to embark on a more closely collaborative path and much more work are required to set the relationship in stone, according to Indian Ambassador S Jaishankar.

"India and the U.S. are positioned to embark on a more closely collaborative path. The world the two nations seek does look similar in the big picture: with greater prosperity, more freedom, market economics, rule based regimes, and pluralistic societies," Jaishankar said while speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School in Boston.

At a more practical level, this is being translated into ground reality, he said, adding that since 2005 trade has tripled and investments have shot up. The two sides are each other's premier partner when it comes to military exercises. India has also emerged as the largest customer for American defense sales abroad.

"Our engagement today spans many more areas, from education and health to homeland security and energy. Our conversations too are more wide-ranging and honest, with less talking past each other," he said.

"To set the new relationship in stone, however, requires much more work. There are disappointments about missed opportunities. Short-term issues can crop up and even dominate in the absence of direction. After all, we have seen differences being publicly paraded after some years," he said.

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