US-India partnership one of most consequential of 21st century: Juster

New Delhi, January 8

The US-India partnership is one of the most consequential relationships of the 21st century, outgoing American envoy to India Ken Juster said on Friday at the ground-breaking ceremony of a new Chancery building for the US Embassy here.

In a demonstration of the deep ties of friendship that underpin the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, US Ambassador Juster, India’s Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, and Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia broke ground on the new Chancery building, a statement by the US Embassy said.

In his remarks at the event, Juster said, “The project we celebrate today is more than a series of buildings and infrastructure. It reflects America’s enduring commitment to the US-India partnership and is a testament to the strength and longevity of that partnership.”

“The US-India partnership is one of the most consequential relationships of the 21st century and as Minister Puri stated it covers a broad range of issues, including non-proliferation, counter-terrorism, trade, investment, energy, environment, health, education, science and technology, space and so much more,” he said.

The new Chancery building will stand adjacent to the iconic original Chancery and the Ambassador’s Residence at Roosevelt House on the Embassy campus in New Delhi’s diplomatic enclave in Chanakyapuri.

Friday also marked the 62nd anniversary of the ground-breaking of the original Chancery in 1959. Designed by world-renowned architect Edward Durell Stone, the original Chancery was celebrated for its fusion of modern American architecture with elements of traditional Indian design, the Embassy statement said.

Frank Lloyd Wright called the Chancery “one of the finest buildings of the past 100 years”. The original Chancery and Roosevelt House are now listed on the Secretary of State’s Register of Historically Significant Properties.

With a connecting central green space and a series of cast stone screens, canopies, and garden walls, the new Chancery will reflect historic and modern traditions in New Delhi while introducing a resilient design that brings the campus into the 21st century, thanks to the work of the US architecture firm Weiss/Manfredi, the statement said.

During the construction process, designers will also upgrade the entire Embassy compound with a range of ecologically resilient strategies to create an integrated and sustainable campus.

When the new Chancery is completed, the US Embassy in New Delhi will join a long list of over 50 LEED-certified US diplomatic posts, reaffirming the US commitment to construct green buildings for a more sustainable future, it said. – PTI