After Months Of Rocky Relationship, US Ambassador Extends Hands Of Friendship To India, Says 'Real Friends Resolve Their Differences'

New Delhi: Sergio Gor on Monday took oath the new US Ambassador designate to India and Special Envoy to South and Central Asia at the US Embassy premises in the national capital. Sergio Gor will present his credentials to President of India this week.

Addressing the gathering at the Embassy, Gor said he attests Trump friendship with PM Modi as "real" and said that real friends can resolve their difference.

"I have travelled all over the world with President Trump, and I can attest that his friendship with Prime Minister Modi is real. The United States and India are bound, not just by shared interests but by a relationship anchored at the highest levels. Real friends can disagree but always resolve their differences in the end," he said.

"It is great to be here as the United States' Ambassador. I come to this remarkable nation with profound respect and a clear mission: to take the partnership between our two nations to the next level. This is the intersection between the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest democracy. During my last dinner with him, President Trump recounted his last visit to India and also his great friendship with the great Prime Minister of India. I hope the President will be visiting us soon, hopefully in the next year or two. President Trump has a habit of calling at 2 in the morning, and with the time difference in New Delhi, it might work out pretty well," he added.

Gor emphasised the importance of the strategic relationship with India and said he intends to pursue an ambitious agenda

"No partner is more essential than India. In the months and years ahead, it is my goal as ambassador to pursue a very ambitious agenda. We will do this as true strategic partners, each bringing strength, respect, and leadership to the table," he said.

Speaking on the ongoing negotiations of the India-US trade deal, Gor acknowledged that it was a challenging task and said he was determined to get it across the finish line.

"Many of you have asked me for an update on the ongoing trade deal negotiations. Both sides continue to actively engage. In fact, the next call on trade will occur tomorrow. India is the world's largest nation. So it's not an easy task to get this across the finish line, but we are determined to get there and while trade is very important for our relationship, we will continue to work closely together on other very important areas such as security, counter-terrorism, energy, technology, education, and health," he said.

Making a major announcement Sergio Gor said that India would be invited to join the critical Pax Silica next month. Pax Silica is a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain.

"I am pleased to announce that India will be invited to join PaxSilica as a full member next month..." He says "... I also want to share with you today a new initiative that the United States launched just last month called PaxSilica. PaxSilica is a US-led strategic initiative to build a secure, prosperous, and innovation-driven silicon supply chain from critical minerals and energy inputs to advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, AI development, and logistics. Nations that joined last month include Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and Israel. Today, I am pleased to announce that India will be invited to join this group of nations as a full member next month."

He added that it was critical for both nations to work together as the world continues to adopt new technology.

"As the world adopts new technology, it is essential that India and the United States work hand in hand from the very start of this initiative. I thank the people of India for a very warm welcome. You are a resilient people. You are innovative. You are spiritual. I look forward to meeting many of you as I travel across this incredible nation. To the staff here at the embassy, I'm excited to work with you. You and I have an incredible once in a lifetime opportunity to redefine diplomacy. What it can accomplish could be the most consequential global partnership of this century," he said.

India and United States enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership covering almost all areas, driven by shared democratic values, convergence of interests on a range of issues, and vibrant people-to-people contacts.

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