India global ally, Pakistan regional partner: US

New Delhi, November 21

India is an invaluable global ally while Pakistan is a valuable partner in a sensitive region, the US State Department said while explaining its relations with the two South Asian nations.

“India is an invaluable partner, not just in the region as it relates to a lot of the United States’ shared priorities across the world,” said the department’s Principal Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel while commenting on Washington’s ties with New Delhi. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar “remain in close touch as the need to”.

In sum, the US expects India to play a global role, while it expects Pakistan to play a role as an important ally in combating terrorism and stabilising Afghanistan.

At a gathering of Indian-Americans in Washington, US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for forging a consensus during the recently concluded G20 Summit. “When the US and President Biden look for partners that can truly help carry the load, truly help move forward a global agenda, India and PM Modi are high up on that list,” he said. “We just saw this in real time at the G20 meet, where the PM was instrumental in forging a consensus around a joint statement among a far-flung group of countries,” he said.

India will host the G20 leaders’ summit later in 2023.

On its webpage, the State Department says “the US-India strategic partnership is founded on shared values, including a commitment to democracy and upholding the rules-based international system. The US and India have shared interests in promoting global security, stability, and economic prosperity through trade, investment and connectivity”, it said.