'PM's US visit reinforces his commitment towards development'

Washington, Sep 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's just concluded US visit has "reinforced" his commitment towards development and the great trust developed between him and US President Barack Obama has elevated the Indo-US relationship to a higher level, a senior BJP leader has said.

"Prime Minister (during his US visit) has reinforced his commitment to taking India in the direction of infrastructure building and development.

Whatever he said last year in his first visit to the US, one year down the line he showed to the world that he is committed to doing all those things he was talking about," senior BJP leader Ram Madhav said.

"That would be a message to the entire world that here is the man who is willing to do walk the talk and that he is committed to the development of India," said Madhav, who was in the US to attend the community reception hosted in honour of Prime Minister in the Silicon Valley over the weekend.

Modi, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Silicon Valley in more than three decades, addressed Indian- Americans at an indoor stadium in the city. In New York, Modi met US President Barack Obama. "Look at the way President Obama spoke about Prime Minister. It showed that between them they have a very good understanding.

There is great trust between the two leaders," Madhav said, referring to the statements made by Obama. "It showed that India-US relationship has now reached definitely higher level," he said, adding that this is in "interest of both" the countries.

"Increasingly or probably like never before, the entrepreneurial class is going to play a very vital role in our bilateral relations," Madhav said, referring to the meetings that Modi had with American corporate leadership.

"Prime Minister's interactions in US with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies or the IT companies on the West Coast have created great interest and enthusiasm in the US business sections.

I think, they would increasingly become a very important player in bilateral relations," he said. Responding to a question on climate change, he said the Prime Minister has taken a very pragmatic view on this important issue.

Prime Minister Modi has told the world leaders whom he met on a bilateral basis that India is committed to taking forward the climate change negotiations in a very positive way, the senior BJP leader asserted.

"There are concerns, there are issues which developing countries like India have, which are very reasonable. What is more important is that the Prime Minister has allayed the fear if it existed in the minds of the countries that probably India would be a stumbling block in establishing a good climate change regime," he said.

"He (the Prime Minister) emphatically told the world that he is committed to taking forward the agenda. He said he has the obligation to protect the developmental interest of his own country as well as rest of the developing world. He is ready to play a very constructive role," he added.

PTI