Modi’s 100 days: US senator lauds progress in India-US ties

Ahead of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington, US Senator Mark Warner has lauded the headway made by India and the US in the first 100 days of the new administration taking charge in Delhi.

“I am pleased to see US and Indian leadership work together to make progress on concrete deliverables during these first 100 days,” said Senator Mark Warner, co-chair of the bipartisan Senate India Caucus.

In May, Warner had created a blueprint for bilateral relations between New Delhi and Washington called the “First 100 days”. The plan recommended step that both governments should take to enhance their strategic partnership.

In a statement, the Senator said it pleased him that the governments have begun work on seven of his recommended priorities. He added that the new leadership in Delhi has provided “new energy” and “important momentum” before the much publicised meeting between US President Barak Obama and India’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“By demonstrating that we can move beyond talk and actually get things done, we can provide new energy and important momentum to set the stage for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US later this month,” added Warner.

Modi and Obama are scheduled to meet on September 29 and 30 in Washington. The two leaders are expected to focus on raising the bar for the economic relationship and focus on rejuvenation of what President Obama has called the defining partnership of the 21^st century. Bilateral trade is estimated to be just over 100 billion USD – considered way below potential. Previously, US Vice-President Biden has declared that the two countries could multiply bilateral trade five times to $500 billion in the not too distant future.

The US is the fifth largest source of foreign direct investment into India, with cumulative FDI inflows of about $ 11.92 billion from April 2000 to March 2014. While Indian companies have invested over US $ 17 billion in the US over the last few years.

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