Future of Indo-US cooperation bright: Envoy

Washington, Mar 19: The future of Indo-US cooperation is bright and the two countries are jointly working on a number of collaborations, including a possible second joint mission to Mars, US envoy to India has said.

"The extraordinary personal connection between President Obama and Prime Minister Modi has certainly helped propel these remarkable developments," the US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, said in his address to Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia this week.

In his remarks, as part of Ranjit Sen Memorial Lecture Series, Verma said, "The amazing speed and scope of the expansion of bilateral ties would not have been possible without a foundation of centuries of friendship and shared values between the people of the two countries".

He said the NASA provided navigational support to India's Mars mission, and now both our countries are discussing a possible second joint mission to the Red Planet.

"Our health researchers and medical professionals are working together to help end TB in India, they have set up advanced surveillance and detection efforts as part of the global health security initiative, and they are now working in several African countries to promote child and maternal health," he said.

GE was selected to make hundreds of advanced locomotives in India, Boeing will make parts of the Apache attack helicopter in India, and Indian companies invested over USD 15 billion into American cities and states as well, he said.

"These examples just barely scratch the surface of our current work together. Our future cooperation is even brighter. We are well aligned as the world's largest and oldest democracy to forge even stronger ties ahead," Verma said.

"President Obama has said we aim to be India's best partner, and Prime Minister Modi has encouraged us to think big, beyond the transactional nature of the relationship, to the global impact we can have on peace and prosperity. Fundamentally, our two countries our stronger when we come together," said the US Ambassador.

PTI