Former Peace Corps Director and Ambassador to India Richard Celeste attends dinner for departing Indian Ambassador to the US
Indo-US relations vital for global stability: Myers
By Vasantha Arora, Washington, Apr 8 (IANS) :
US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Richard Myers has described the growing relations between India and the US as an important factor for global stability.
Myers said this Wednesday night at the farewell to Indian Ambassador Lalit Mansingh, who returns to India May 2 after a three-year term that saw Indo-US relations blossom from political and economic spheres into a strategic partnership.
The evening was well attended by several Bush administration officials, policy makers and three former US envoys to India - Thomas Pickering, Richard Celeste and William Clark.
Myers, who has visited India twice, spoke about the significance of the emerging military to military relations between the two countries.
In his brief opening remarks, Mansingh said Indo-US relations had never been so cordial in its history.
This was made possible after former president Bill Clinton visited India and President George W. Bush moved it forward by saying the "United States views India as a growing world power with which it has common strategic interests".
He mentioned how the "incredible upturn in our relationship" is best reflected in the ever-growing Congressional Caucus on India in the House of Representatives.
The body now has 185 members and another similar one -- the first ever such a country-specific body in the US Senate -- will come into being on April 20.
However, Mansingh said the "most visible manifestation of our new relationship" has been in defence cooperation.
This included combined special operations training, exchange of personnel at all levels and joint ground, sea, and air exercises.
In the past two years, India and the US have conducted eight joint military exercises.
"Even four years ago, such an engagement between our troops would have been unimaginable! The challenge here is to convert the goodwill generated into solid trust and understanding," Mansingh said.
In this context, the Indian envoy mentioned how Myers was the first head of the US armed forces to have visited India in 50 years.
