Blitz Bureau
CONGRATULATING India on its 78th Independence Day, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said ties between India and the United States are more wide-ranging and stronger than ever before. “On this momentous day, we celebrate the rich and diverse history of the Indian people and the bright future of US-Indian relations,” Blinken said in a press statement, according to the US Department of State. Emphasising the strength of IndiaUS bilateral cooperation, he said,” Our comprehensive global and strategic partnership is grounded in the deep bonds between our peoples, our economies, and built on the foundation of our shared commitment to democracy, freedom, and human dignity”. He also highlighted the rapidly expanding cooperation between the two nations, saying, “We continue to work together to advance our shared vision of a free, open, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
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Climate, clean energy
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region, comprising the Indian Ocean and the western and central Pacific Ocean, including the South China Sea. China claims nearly all of the South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam claim parts of it.
Speaking on the US-India ties, Blinken said: “From climate and clean energy to defence and space technologies, US-Indian bilateral cooperation is more wide-ranging and stronger than ever before. I wish all those celebrating today (August 15), in India, in the United States, and globally through the Indian diaspora, a joyous Independence Day”.
PM Modi at UNGA
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in New York for the week of highlevel meetings at the United Nations from September 22 to 28, starting with the ‘Summit of the Future’. He is scheduled to address the General Assembly on September 26. PM Modi is also scheduled to hold a meeting with the Indian diaspora. The meeting will be a celebration of the achievements of the Indian diaspora in the US and the people-to-people links between the US and India that are bringing the two nations closer.
This will be the fifth time when PM Modi will address the Indian community in the US. Preparations are in full swing for the community event in Long Island, coming 10 years after PM Modi had addressed a packed community gathering at the famed Madison Square Garden in New York in September 2014.
