New Delhi: The US administration on Thursday emphasized again how its ties with India matters to the nation ahead of India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval’s visit.
The reassurance comes a day after Ned Price, the U.S. State Department spokesperson obliquely criticised India’s banning of BBC documentary on PM Modi.
Ajit Doval will hold talks with the top American leadership, including his counterpart Jake Sullivan.
In Washington DC, he will participate a programme on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) with United States NSA Jake Sullivan on January 31.
Creating a more convivial atmosphere to the meeting, the Deputy Spokesperson for State Department termed India as ‘an important partner of choice’ for the US.
“India is an important partner of choice for the United States in a number of spaces, and that includes trade cooperation,” Vedant Patel reportedly said.
Patel said the ties with India includes security and technological cooperation and he refused to give away more details of upcoming talks.
“This (India-US ties) is, of course, of great importance to us,” Patel added.
India and the US jointly launched the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) to facilitate outcome-oriented cooperation. It will be helmed by India’s National Security Council Secretariat and the US National Security Council.