The United States’ Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, on Thursday said they value Pakistan as a partner in its fight against terrorism but cannot tolerate the country becoming “a haven for terrorists”.
The American envoy said India was widely respected despite possessing nuclear capabilities as it is a democratic country and a member of three non-proliferation groups, ANI reported. “North Korea dedicated their effort towards building nuclear forces and strong sanctions have curtailed them over time,” she said. “Iran is a theocratic dictatorship and their pursuit of a nuclear weapons threatens all of us.”
Earlier this year, India became the 43rd member of the Australia Group, a voluntary group of countries that works to identify and control the export of material, equipment and technologies that could lead to the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons. In December, India became the 42nd member of the multilateral export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement, which aims to bring transparency to exports of arms and dual-use goods and technologies.
Haley reiterated the United States’ support for India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
“At the Shangri-la Dialogue, Prime Minister [Narednra] Modi spoke about free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Haley said. “President [Donald] Trump believes in this vision. India’s vision is aspirational but it is realistic.”
Haley pointed out that the relationship between the two countries had grown from one of indifference and mutual suspicion to that of friendship and partnership. “Today, Indian-Americans are the most educated and highly philanthropic minority in the US,” she added. Haley, whose parents are Indian immigrants, said freedom of religion was one of the most important and crucial things that the two countries share.
Earlier in the day, the envoy visited Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk, PTI reported. The Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee spoke to the US envoy about the matter of 52 Indians, mostly Sikhs, being held at a detention centre in the US state of Oregon for being part of a contingent of undocumented immigrants seeking asylum there.
Bharatiya Janata Party legislator and the gurdwara management body’s general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa said Haley took note of the matter and discussed it with the US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster. “We will be meeting Ken Juster soon to discuss the matter in detail,” Sirsa said.
On Wednesday, Haley met Prime Minister Modi and discussed cooperation between the US and India. The two leaders “expressed confidence that a strong India-US partnership will continue to be an important factor for global peace and prosperity”.
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