US, India have invested in strengthening bilateral relationship, says John Kerry

Gandhinagar: 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 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.

Addressing the Summit, Kerry said it was not a coincidence that US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Defence Chuck Hagel and former deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns have visited India during Prime Minister Modi's first 100 days in office.

"It is no coincidence that I am back in India so early in his tenure," he said. "We are committed to working with India to reach a landmark climate change agreement in Paris at the end of this year and I know this will be a topic of President Obama's conversation with the Prime Minister," he said.

Kerry also said, "We are also working together to safeguard maritime security, freedom of navigation and overflight throughout the region. We are strengthening our partnership to combat terrorism, piracy and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction."

On the regional ties, he said, "We are committed to deepening of regional dialogue on key political and security issues."

The US Secretary also reaffirmed his country's support to US' oldest ally France and said he would be visiting Paris on Thursday to express US solidarity with France.

"The relationship with France is not about one day, one particular moment, but it is a long-time relationship that is deeply based in the shared values and particularly the commitment that we share in freedom of expression," he said.

He said all assistance on security, intelligence and law enforcement required by France will be given.