Some commentators are encouraging the Obama administration to nurture a strong relationship with India. With attention turned towards China, Russia, the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan and even Mexico, is the United States ignoring a rising power in a geopolitically significant region?
India is too big and important to ignore.
James Steinberg, deputy secretary of state, recently spoke at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC. He emphasized the critical US-India relationship and the importance of working together to address global issues.
“We are living in a challenging moment – one that brings great responsibilities, but also significant opportunities, for both the United States and India…
“Together, our populations are 1.4 billion strong, and we can do so much together to advance our common interests. We should find ways to work the private sector into our government-to-government dialogues and use strong people to people ties to advance cooperation in education and science and technology, and to facilitate rural development in India.
“But the future of our relationship depends on more than strengthening bilateral ties and engagement. As India emerges as one of the world’s leading economic and political powers, the central question is how the United States and India can work together to address the regional and global challenges that no one country alone can solve.”
Photo from Gurinder Osan/Associated Press.