US, India have invested in bilateral relationship: John Kerry

Gandhinagar, Jan 12: US Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday said both India and United States have invested in the relationship and will continue to deepen it by creating a healthier, more secure and prosperous future to be able to impact policies that affect the world.

Kerry listed four specific areas of climate change, defence, civil nuclear cooperation and economic partnership that will come up in the conversations between US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi later during the month.

He also said the two countries were working together to safeguard maritime security, freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the region and strengthen partnership to combat terrorism, piracy and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and reiterated its commitment to deepening of regional dialogue on key political and security issues.

Obama, who is the first US President to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day, will be visiting the country to strengthen ties between one of the oldest and biggest democracies in the world.

"We are all invested in this relationship because we recognise what this moment offers to us but also what it demands of us and we continue to deepen our partnership, transform how we collaborate.

"I am convinced that India and United States will create a healthier, more secure and more prosperous future and not just for one another but indeed be able to have an impact on policies that will affect the world," Kerry said addressing the 7th Vibrant Gujarat Summit.

The US Secretary of State said that his country can do a great deal to work together to achieve Prime Minister Modi's ambitious plan of providing electricity to all homes in India and expressed the hope to expand on such programmes in the coming months.

"For both India and the United States, investing in each other's success is frankly in both of our interests. It is really a smart, strategic bet for both the countries," he said.

PTI