US, India share unique bond of friendship: White House

Washington: As the world’s two oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India share a unique bond of friendship and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s visit will further deepen the partnership to create a safer and more prosperous Indo-Pacific, the White House has said.

Sullivan is visiting New Delhi from June 17 to 18, in the first trip to India by a senior Biden administration official after the Modi government came to power for the third term.

Sullivan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval on Monday.

“As the world’s two oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India share a unique bond of friendship, and Mr Sullivan’s trip will further deepen the already strong US-India partnership to create a safer and more prosperous Indo-Pacific,” John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor told reporters at his daily news conference on Monday.

In New Delhi, Kirby said, Sullivan will co-chair the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology, also known as iCET, a landmark partnership to expand strategic cooperation across key technology sectors including space, semiconductors, advanced telecommunications, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology and clean energy.

Kirby did not respond to questions on Indian national Nikhil Gupta who has been accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil and has been extradited to the US from the Czech Republic.

“I don’t have more to add on the conversations that Jake’s having. He’s still over there having these conversations. But the main focus of his visit, as I said, was to look for ways to deepen the US-India bilateral relationship, particularly when it comes to emerging technology,” he said.

Gupta was produced before a federal court in New York on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty.

India has publicly said a high-level inquiry is looking into the evidence shared by the US in the alleged plot to kill Pannun