A stable Afghanistan is in the interest of both India and the United States, an American lawmaker said in Delhi on Tuesday while recognising New Delhi's role in the war-ravaged country. "Its in both the US and India's interest to have a stable Afghanistan specially after the billions of dollars we have spent in the past decade and India's investment is significant," Ami Bera, the only Indian American Congressman said.
"First step is to understand what 2014 looks like... that depends on what security in Afghanistan looks like. The US wants to see some stability in Afghanistan," Bera said. He was speaking at a conference of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) held here to sign a memorandum of understanding between CII-FACE and University of California, Davis on Agricultural reforms and exchange of expertise and research in the field of post-harvest technology.
On the dwindling state of Indian economy, Bera said the US went through this same cycle four years ago, but they have started to recover slowly. "If both the countries are working together it will realise their full potential of trade, to and fro Foreign Direct Investment," he said. The Congressman said the relationship between the United States and India has flourished in the last decade.
"As India addresses food security, this MoU signing with UC, Davis provides a very unique opportunity. As India scales up to feed its population we are going to learn a lot," Bera said. On the need to increase FDI cap in retail in India, Bera said, "We have had wonderful meetings with MPs and various ministers. There is full desire to make this partnership to move on to the next level."
"This relationship has to be broader than an one election cycle and the strategic partnership between India and US should not be based on a single party," Bera said. When asked about US considering Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's visa application, Bera said "the issue should be taken up with the state department."
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