Speeches and Remarks

06 June 2004

"From a Strategic to a Comprehensive Relationship", by Ambassador David C. Mulford. Op-ed published in The Hindustan Times and Hindustan, Hindi daily

Modern history tells us that great national partnerships thrive when all elements of government, corporate and civil society are engaged. When two nations envision a major strategic partnership in today's world of market driven economies, that relationship must incorporate far more than government-to-government initiatives. Ultimately, it is the people who must engage. People in corporations, universities, hospitals, research institutes, financial markets, cultural pursuits, agricultural cooperatives, non-governmental organizations, and the media and entertainment.

I believe that this is the kind of relationship that the United States and India can realize in the coming years. We are moving in the right direction. The challenge now is to build on this momentum.

During the past few years, we have seen a fundamental transformation in relations between the United States and India. Observers from both countries have said that relations between our two countries have never been better. I agree with this. This on-going transformation has its roots in our common values and interests as democratic societies committed to political freedom, tolerance, representative government and the fight against terrorism.

The U.S. commitment to this bilateral relationship is deep and growing. Early in his administration, President Bush identified the U.S.-India relationship as having key strategic importance, and earlier this year our two governments announced the "Next Steps in the Strategic Partnership" initiative to facilitate high technology and strategic trade.

Later this month the U.S. and India will hold a major conference in Bangalore June 21-25 highlighting the NASA-ISRO relationship that began 40 years ago. This conference, "The India-United States Conference on Space Science, Applications and Commerce," will bring together hundreds of leading U.S. and Indian commercial, scientific and government representatives to celebrate past accomplishments and exchange views on how to move our relationship forward. January's announcement and the June Space Conference are major steps that give life to the vision of a transforming relationship.

As in the United States at the time of its last election and now just recently in India, the fact that the outgoing and incoming governments in both nations advocate that bilateral relations must continue to grow and expand is a clear sign of new strength in the relationship. President Bush and Secretary of State Powell in their first conversations with Prime Minster Manmohan Singh and Foreign Minister Natwar Singh found a shared desire to build on the solid foundation developed in recent years.

The United States recognizes the vitality and importance of India to American long-term interests. India's emergence as a rising world power and a mature market economy are significant to the region and the world. We have jointly taken important steps to bridge previous mistrust and to lay the basis for a solid partnership for the 21st century.

Our shared values are clear. As democracies, we respect the will of the people and the rule of law. As liberal societies, we share a commitment to the sanctity of individual rights and freedoms and welcome diversity as a national asset. As market economies, we share a belief that people are the source of enterprise, activity and ultimately of economic strength. We are committed to free economies that promote both growth and opportunity for all.

Our common interests are growing. We are committed to defeating Terrorism. Both of our nations have suffered at the hands of terrorists and recognize the necessity of eliminating this inhuman threat to our people. We are committed to preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and increasingly we are cooperating to stop their further spread.

We both seek a freer and more equitable international trading system. While we may differ in our understanding of the pace and sequencing of such liberalization, we recognize that more trade and freer trade are essential for strong economic growth, rising prosperity, and the reduction of poverty.

We are working together to promote regional stability in South Asia and regularly discuss mutual concerns in Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. We support continued efforts by India and Pakistan to better their relations.

India and the US seek a permanent and equitable peace in the Middle East. The US continues to consult with India on the evolving political, economic and military situation in Iraq. We both believe that representative government that protects human rights and accommodates diversity is the best hope for progress and stability in Iraq.

In Asia we both share a clear commitment to growth, prosperity and regional security. We are working together throughout the region to combat terrorism, prevent proliferation and promote free trade. We can look to India as a major power whose sound judgement is essential to the long-term success of Asia.

While the process of transformation between our two governments continues, we note something of an imbalance in our relations. The government-to-government element currently outweighs that of our respective private sectors. We see this beginning to change, but the potential for future development seems virtually unlimited.

The core of relations between democratic nations is individuals working with individuals. Today, there is more contact between the peoples of our two countries than ever before. Millions of Indians live and work in the United States, and tens of thousands more are employed in companies working with or for U.S. companies. India has become the second greatest source of legal immigration to the United States and India is the single largest source of foreign students in the United States for the second straight year, with nearly 75,000 Indians on university campuses spread across America.

As our current strategic partnership matures into a comprehensive relationship, our two nations will benefit from an increasing range of scientific and commercial opportunities using cutting edge technologies for both civilian and military uses, for education, economic development, and space exploration. Add to this the already rich tapestry of cooperative bilateral programs: health care, fighting dread diseases, educational exchanges, agricultural programs and military training, exercises and exchanges.

To me there is no doubt that close and collaborative relations between America and India will flourish in the next few years. Yet the full potential has still to be achieved. This lies chiefly in the creative dynamism of our people and private societies. It is the duty of our governments to make sure we can engage in many fields, do business together and trade and invest in each other's futures. It is my goal in India to work tirelessly to make this happen and I look forward to working with India's new leadership to do this.