India, US share determination to defeat scourge of terrorism: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an opinion piece published in Wall Street Journal, has said that India and United States share the determination to defeat the scourge of terrorism.

"India has four decades' experience in fighting terrorism, and we share the U.S. administration's determination to defeat this scourge," PM Modi wrote hours ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Highlighting that a new layer in India-U.S. engagement is a partnership between the two sides for global good, PM Modi said the world reaps the benefits whenever India and the U.S. work together.

"A new layer in our engagement is our partnership for global good. Whenever India and the U.S. work together, the world reaps the benefits-be it our collaborative efforts to find affordable vaccines for rotavirus or dengue, our joint studies of gravitational waves, observations of distant planets, establishing norms for cyberspace, providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in the Indo-Pacific region, or training peacekeepers in Africa," PM Modi said.

Asserting that Defense is another mutually beneficial sphere of partnership betweenthe two sides, PM Modi said both India and the U.S. have an overriding interest in securing our societies, and the world, from the forces of terrorism, radical ideologies and nontraditional security threats.

"We are already working together to address the existing and emerging strategic and security challenges that affect both our nations-in Afghanistan, West Asia, the large maritime space of the Indo-Pacific, the new and unanticipated threats in cyberspace. We also share an interest in ensuring that sea lanes-critical lifelines of trade and energy-remain secure and open to all," he added.

Emphasising that the logic of strategic relationship between India and U.S. is incontrovertible, PM Modi said it is further underpinned by faith in the strength of multicultural societies that have defended the values of the two sides at all costs including the supreme sacrifices we've made in distant corners of the globe.

Citing his address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress last June in which he had stated that the relationship between India and America had overcome the "hesitations of history", PM Modi expressed confidence in the growing convergence between our two nations.

He added that this confidence stems from the strength of shared values and the stability of systems between the two countries.

"In an uncertain global economic landscape, our two nations stand as mutually reinforcing engines of growth and innovation," he said.

PM Modi pointed that confidence in each other's political values and a strong belief in each other's prosperity has enabled the both sides' engagement to grow.

He said that a vision of joint success and progress guides the partnership between U.S and India.

PM Modi noted that the bilateral trade between the two countries , which already totals about $115 billion a year, is poised for a multifold increase.

"Indian companies are adding value to the manufacturing and services sectors in the U.S., with total investments of approximately $15 billion and a presence in more than 35 states, including in the Rust Belt. American companies have likewise fueled their global growth by investing more than $20 billion in India," he wrote.

PM Modi said that the transformation of India presents abundant commercial and investment opportunities for American businesses.

On the Goods and Services Tax, the Prime Minister wrote that the rollout of the GST on July 1 will be in a single stroke, convert India into a unified, continent-sized market of 1.3 billion people.

"The planned 100 smart cities, the massive modernization of ports, airports, and road and rail networks, and the construction of affordable housing for all by 2022-the 75th anniversary of India's independence-are not just promises of great urban renewal within India. These plans also showcase the enormous fruits of our relationships with enterprising U.S. partners-worth many billions of dollars over the next decade alone-together with concomitant new employment opportunities across both societies," he said.

PM Modi further said that in coming years, Indian companies will import energy in excess USd40 billion from the U.S. and more than 200 American-made aircraft will join the private Indian aviation fleet.

He said the combination of technology, innovation and skilled workers has helped forge an exciting digital and scientific partnership between our two countries.

"The creative and entrepreneurial energy of our engineers, scientists and researchers, and their free movement between both countries, continue to help India and the U.S. retain their innovation edge and maintain competitiveness in the knowledge economy," he said.

"The three-million-strong Indian-American community, which represents the best of both our countries, has played a crucial role in connecting and contributing to our societies," he further said.

PM Modi hoped that the next few decades to be an even more remarkable story of ambitious horizons, convergent action and shared growth.

"The U.S. and India are forging a deeper and stronger partnership that extends far beyond the Beltway and the Raisina Hill. That partnership has become our privileged prerogative and our promise for our people and our world," he said.

-ANI