NEW DELHI: What was seen as unthinkable a generation ago will seem as indispensable a generation from now, said outgoing US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Sunday, reflecting on the ties between the two countries after his farewell meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Garcetti on Sunday called on Modi with his family for a ‘final’ meeting and later said the “compelling and consequential” partnership between the two countries has reached new heights due to the efforts of Indian Prime Minister and the outgoing President Joe Biden.
Garcetti had taken over as the 26th US Ambassador to India on March 15, 2023.
His meeting with PM Modi came a day before Donald Trump’s inauguration as America’s 47th President of the United States. Garcetti, like some of his predecessors, is a political appointee to the post.
In a post on social media platform X, Garcetti wrote, “Had a great final visit with PM Modi with my family. It’s clear that he and President Biden have raised our compelling and consequential US-India partnership to new heights — record visas, record trade, record defence collaboration, record space cooperation, record students, record investments...”
He expressed his gratitude to Modi and the people of India for their warm hospitality and underlined that the US-India partnership has become indispensable and will continue to grow in the coming years.
“What was seen as unthinkable a generation ago will seem as indispensable a generation from now, thanks to the work of these leaders and the people of our nations. Thank you Prime Minister and thank you to all Indians. It’s been a daily joy to help co-write this chapter with you,” he added.
‘US opened its second ever consulate in India’
Earlier, Eric Garcetti highlighted the rich history of US-India relations, dating back to 1776 when the US opened its second-ever consulate in Kolkata. He noted that the recent inauguration of the US Consulate office in Bengaluru marks an expansion of the US presence in India, rather than a new beginning. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar has also announced that India will open its Consulate in Los Angeles.