AHMEDABAD, Feb 24: Describing India and the US as “natural partners”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called President Donald Trump a “special friend” of India and said his visit to this country has created a “new history” in Indo-US relations.
Addressing the ‘Namaste Trump’ event at the new-look Motera stadium, dubbed as the world’s biggest, Modi underscored the significance of the president’s visit to India at the turn of a new decade, describing it as a “big occasion”.
The prime minister also asserted that “new India” has brought many new opportunities for a “resurgent America”.
With Trump by his side, Modi said “America’s commitment to defeating terrorism and the leadership of President Trump has served humanity and, therefore, I believe that a special leader like President Trump and a special friend of India coming to India at the beginning of this decade is a big occasion”.
He also hailed Trump’s visit to India as a “new chapter” in the historic Indo-US relations and added their ties is no longer just another partnership but a far greater and closer relationship.
Welcoming the President, Modi said a “new history” is being created and asserted that foundations of new alignments, challenges, opportunities and changes are being laid.
“India and the US relations and cooperation will play an important role in deciding the course of world in the 21st century. I am of the categorical view that India and the US are natural partners,” he told an estimated one lakh-strong audience who broke into cheers frequently.
Underlining the strong ties between the two nations, Modi said the US is now India’s largest trading partner and the Indian military is involved in its biggest war exercise with the US.
Trump’s visit to India at the turn of the new decade is a big occasion, he said.
“In this decade of the 21st century, ‘new India’ has also brought many new opportunities for a ‘resurgent America’. In every area of development, both countries have much to gain.”
“Increasing manufacturing in India, expanding infrastructure, will bring new possibilities for America. In this era of Industry 4.0, the expansion of the digital economy in India will create many investment opportunities for the US as well,” Modi said.
Industry 4.0 has been defined as a name for the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies.
Modi also said that we are inspired by a long-term vision, not just short term considerations.
“Our bilateral relations will grow, our economic partnership will expand, our digital cooperation will increase,” he said.
The Indo-US ties are no longer just another partnership but have touched far greater heights, and the Trump’s trip with his family shows this, Modi said.
“Welcome to world’s biggest democracy,” the prime minister said.
Modi said President Trump’s visit is a new chapter in the relations between India and America. “A chapter that will become a new document of progress and prosperity of the people of America and India,” he added.
There is so much that the two countries share, Modi said.
He said the two countries also share a spirit of enterprise and innovation, shared opportunities and challenges and shared hopes and aspirations.
The biggest strength between two people or nations is trust, Modi said while quoting an old adage that “friendship is where trust is unshakable”.
In the last few years, trust between the US and India has strengthened further and has reached historic levels.
Modi said today 130 crore Indians are jointly building a ‘new India’.
“Our youth power is full of aspirations. Setting big goals, achieving them is becoming the hallmark of new India today,” he said.
Modi noted that India not only has the world record of sending the maximum number of satellites simultaneously, but also is making the world record by doing the fastest financial inclusion.
“Today the country with which India has the most extensive research and development partnership is America,” he said.
Referring to military ties, the prime minister said the two countries have participated in a number of bilateral military exercises.
“We can make an effective contribution not only in the Indo-Pacific Region, but in the peace, progress and security of the whole world,” he said.
Referring to the key decisions taken by his government in the recent past, Modi said not only 1,500 obsolete laws have been scrapped to clean up the statute books, new legislations have been enacted to empower the society.
“Be it the rights of transgender persons, making law against (the practice of) triple talaq to respect Muslim women, extending priority to the disabled, giving 26 weeks of paid maternity leave — many such rights have been extended to various sections of the society,” he added. (PTI)
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