No single issue can decide Indo-US relation:Roemer on IAF deal

New Delhi, April 29: After both its fighters failed to make it to India's multi-billion dollar deal, the US today (April 29) said even though it is deeply disappointed, no single issue can decide the Indo-US relation.

"We respect Indian procurement process but we are deeply disappointed... But I am forever an optimist and positive. No single issue can decide the Indo-US relation. Our partnership is resilient and global in nature. It will make us inextricable in coming decades," US Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer said here. He was addressing a gathering of the US Chamber of Commerce to India.

His statement comes a day after India announced the rejection of its two aircraft-- Boeing's F-18 and Lockheed Martin's F-16, from multi billion dollar 126 Medium-Multi Role Combat Aircraft (M-MRCA) deal, in which European Eurofighter and French Rafale have been shortlisted for final selection.

The US Ambassador has resigned a day after India informed America about its decision to reject American fighters.

Addressing the gathering Roemer said, "The US-India partnership is on a trajectory that knows no limits. We are entering a golden age in our relations that will result in us creating economic opportunities for our citizens and ensuring safe and secure communities throughout the world." He further talked about the Indo-US partnership in areas of health, education, trade, energy and agriculture.

Calling his two year-long stint in India as an "extraordinarily successful and rewarding" period, Roemer said, "Our two countries are collaborating and partnering in almost every field of human endeavor."

PTI