Indo-US ties have evolved into very deep partnership: Singh

From Lalit K Jha Washington, Sep 1 (PTI) The Indo-US relationship hasevolved into a very deep partnership which is more than whatis generally acknowledged, outgoing Indian envoy Arun K Singhhas said and voiced confidence that the bilateral ties wouldfurther advance under the next US President. "I think in many ways there is a very deep partnershipmore than what is generally acknowledged and recognised,"Singh, who retired yesterday, told PTI. "There is a deep linkage between India and the US," Singhsaid, citing the example of people-to-people relationship inparticularly those in the Silicon Valley. "Indian-origin tech companies, Indian-origin techentrepreneurs are an integral part of the effort in the US inthe digital technology where US is in the lead," he said,adding that there is "a very very deep" connection developingin business and technology which will have a longer termimpact. "There is a tremendous potential going ahead. We seesimilarity of values, whether we are looking at democracy,human rights. So with all that there is a sense in bothcountries that this is a relationship from which we bothbenefit," he said. "This is a relationship which is important in today’sglobal context where you see a lot of uncertainty, botheconomic, political; where you see violence, where you seeterrorism; where you see approaches based on exclusion ratherthan multiculturalism and pluralism," he said. "So there is a lot of value in this relationship. Sotherefore as a diplomat between 2008-13 and since last year ithas been fascinating being part of this process," he added. Firmly of the view that there is now a broad bi-partisansupport to this relationship in the US, Singh said the tiesshould move forward irrespective of who is the next USpresident. "When Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) was here in June, hehad come here at the invitation of US President, but (House)Speaker Paul Ryan, who is a Republican, invited him to addressJoint Session of the US Congress, which as anybody could seewas a lot of energy, excitement and it went off very verywell," he said. "I am confident that whoever is the next president andpeople around them would work to advance this relationship,"Singh said. A 1979 batch Indian Foreign Service officer, Singh saidit is generally recognised that Indian diplomacy over a periodof time has gained "more and more impact". In a career spanning 37 years, Singh served in variouscapacities in the Ministry of External Affairs both in Indiaand overseas, including representing India as its top diplomatin three key nations of Israel, France and the US. This was Singh’s second stint at the Indian Embassy inWashington. He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission fromOctober 2008 to 2013 after which he was appointed as theIndian Ambassador to France. Singh assumed his new assignment as Ambassador of Indiato US on April 30, 2015 after being the country’s top diplomatin France from April, 2013 to April, 2015. He said as India has emerged more and more at theinternational scene, the impact of "Indian diplomacy hasclearly increased". PTI LKJPMS