Former US envoy Roemer advocates the appointment of a full-fledged envoy to India as India is a key priority for American presidents and foreign affairs experts in executing US foreign policy.

Former US envoy to India, Timothy Roemer, stated that India must be a significant priority for American presidents and foreign affairs experts in implementing US foreign policy and that the geopolitical tensions should not delay decisions or divert attention from India's priorities.

Roemer did not criticize the Biden administration overtly for failing to appoint an envoy in New Delhi but noted that the US still does not have an ambassador in New Delhi despite 20 months of the Biden administration. He made these observations in a piece titled National Security Strategy: India is a Growing World Power and Partner, published by The Hill on Wednesday.

This is the longest period since 1947, when the US embassy in New Delhi was without an envoy. The US appointed its sixth CDA in Delhi this week since the Biden administration took office, although its nominee for Ambassador has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.

Elizabeth Jones, who will be taking charge next month, will act as Chargé d’Affaires (CDA), ad interim, the US State Department mentioned. Since 2021, Washington has appointed five CDAs to its mission in Delhi—Don Heflin, Edgard Kagan, Daniel Smith, Atul Keshap, and Patricia A. Lacina.

The former envoy, Roemer, recalled how the Indo-US ties have transformed over the past decades. He reiterated that the US-India relationship has changed over 75 years, from simply recognizing their independence in 1947 to an era of mutual distance during geopolitical tensions and finally to a defining partnership for the 21st century during the past two decades.

Furthermore, Roemer suggested that it is now time to implement the recently announced White House National Security Strategy based upon rapidly churning geopolitics, a universal recognition that India is an independent force and a significant player in solving world problems, and to effectively manage policy disparities in the partnership when they threaten to divide India and the US on the global stage.

India is the crucial player on key transnational issues listed in the National Security Strategy, from climate change to the pandemic, energy transitions, water policy, etc. Currently, the US is in a precarious position of treating India too often as a permanent partner and expecting cordial agreements and infinite consensus.

Roemer advocated that the nations should show more flexibility as they do with the Quad, propose more innovative initiatives like Australia, United Kingdom, and United States (AUKUS) partnership, and broaden and strengthen India’s inclusion in the Indo-Pacific economic framework on digital trade, artificial intelligence, and cyber security challenges. This is important today as the United States and India experience the coercion and aggression of more militaristic attackers. India, in particular, faces border issues and witnesses several regions becoming weaponized and terrorized.