US lawmakers introduce bipartisan resolution recognising India-US strategic partnership

New York/Washington, Nov 18 (PTI) Two US lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan resolution recognising the strategic partnership between the US and India, applauding Delhi for increasing its purchases of American energy resources and stressing for continued bilateral cooperation to confront challenges like counterterrorism.

Democratic US Representatives Ami Bera from California, the longest-serving Indian American Member of Congress, and Republican Joe Wilson of South Carolina, have introduced the bipartisan resolution “recognising the strategic value of the historical partnership between the United States and India”.

The resolution introduced on Monday underscores decades of deepening cooperation between two of the world’s largest democracies across critical sectors, including defence, technology, trade, counterterrorism and education.

It also highlights India’s vital role in promoting regional stability, economic growth and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“For more than three decades, it has been the policy of the United States under the administrations of Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden to strengthen the strategic partnership with India, recognising its importance to regional stability, democratic governance, economic growth and shared regional priorities,” it said.

The measure calls for continued cooperation between the US and India to confront 21st-century challenges — from counterterrorism and cyber threats to emerging technologies.

It also recognises the enduring people-to-people ties between the two nations, which continue to be strengthened by the Indian American diaspora.

The resolution notes the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks that “led to the deaths of 166 individuals, including citizens from both India and the United States” as well as the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 civilians and injured dozens more and for which The Resistance Front (a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba), claimed responsibility.

“In the wake of the Pahalgam attack, the government of the United States designated The Resistance Front as a foreign terrorist organisation and as a specially designated global terrorist underscoring the alignment of United States and Indian efforts to hold terror groups accountable,” it said.

The resolution notes that “enhancing counterterrorism cooperation between the United States and India is essential to protect citizens, strengthen regional stability, disrupt terrorist networks and promote a rules-based international order”.

The resolution said it “recognises India’s growing energy needs as an essential component of its economic development and applauds India for increasing its purchases of United States energy resources, which enhance mutual energy security, economic prosperity and bilateral cooperation”.

It views the bilateral relationship as holding the potential to bring significant benefit to the citizens of both nations and to make considerable contributions to addressing the global challenges of the 21st century.

It reaffirms the strong and long-standing partnership between the governments of the US and India, rooted in people-to-people ties, strategic interests, including upholding peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.

It supports the US and India identifying further opportunities to deepen engagement and further defence, commercial and investment ties. It calls for continued cooperation on counter-terrorism, “including the swift prosecution of the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks”.

The resolution also notes that Indian Americans have made significant and enduring contributions to the US across diverse fields, including business, academia, science, technology, medicine, health care, public service and the arts, demonstrating through their innovation, hard work, and civic engagement the promise of the American Dream.

It said the strength of the US-India partnership has been reflected through historic people-to-people events, including the ‘‘Howdy, Modi!’’ gathering in Houston, Texas in September 2019, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump had jointly addressed more than 50,000 Indian Americans, and the ‘‘Namaste Trump’’ event in Ahmedabad in February 2020, which “celebrated” the enduring friendship between the American and Indian peoples. PTI YAS GSP GSP