Welcome remarks by the Director during the talk by Amb Eric Garcetti, US Amb to India on 09 Apr 2024

H.E Ambassador Eric Garcetti,

On behalf of the Vivekananda International Foundation and the strategic community gathered here, I would like to welcome Amb Eric Garcetti to the Vivekananda International Foundation. We have been expecting for his visit for some time. I am glad it is happening today.

Amb. Eric Garcetti was confirmed as US Ambassador to India in March 2023. In his short stay, he has made significant contribution to Indo-US ties. President Biden came to India in Sep 2023 for the G20. PM Modi paid a landmark visit to the US in June that year. In Amb Garcetti’s words, 2023 has been the best year for Indo-US relations.

Amb Garcetti is a former Mayor of Los-Angeles. He has studied in Colombia College, Columbia University. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford & London School of Economics. He is an avid pianist and photographer.

India-US relations have followed an upward trajectory for the last few years. PM Modi’s state visit to the US in Jun 2023 has opened many new vistas in bilateral relations, particularly in the technology sector.

However, there is a lot of potential in this partnership. As Amb Garcetti has said publically, Indo-US partnership is not ‘additive’, it is “multiplicative”. He was quoted as saying, “there is a great awakening happening between India and the US. This is not an additive relationship—India plus the US. It is a multiplicative relationship. When India and the US are together, it is India times the US”

Today we look forward from Amb Garcetti about his vision for Indo-US partnership in a changing and turbulent world. What are the thing two countries should do to ensure that India and US are work for a stable and peaceful world at a time when the world is seeing unprecedented volatility ongoing wars, climate change and fragmentation of the existing world order. We will benefit from his views on the current global situation and how it impacts India-U|S relations. It will also be interesting to hear his assessment of Indo-US economic and trade partnership, particularly the slow of US investments to India. Today’s meeting is on Chatham House principles so that we can have a free and uninhibited exchange of views.

Thank you ambassador for joining us

The floor is yours.