Bera asks Kerry to strengthen Indo-US ties

The only Indian-American lawmaker in the Congress Ami Bera has asked Secretary of State John Kerry to focus on strengthening the partnership between India and the US, especially as it draws down its troops in Afghanistan.
"As the world's largest democracy, India has a crucial role to play in the security and economic development of South Asia," said the letter to Kerry sent yesterday by Bera and Congresswoman, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa.
"It is important that our nation help engage and expand India's role in the rebuilding of Afghanistan's infrastructure, training of the Afghanistan Security Forces (ASF), and the development of Afghanistan's post-war economy," said the two lawmakers who recently went on a trip to Afghanistan.

The letter explains some of the things Bera and Ros-Lehtinen learned and observed on their trip, and the economic and strategic ties between US and India.
"Overall, India is capable of making a significant contribution to international efforts to maintain the democratic gains that the United States and our coalition partners have achieved, and helping to anchor regional stability," the letter reads.
"The economic linkages between India and Afghanistan are especially critical as Afghanistan struggles to move to a goods and trade based economy," it said.

Noting that the economic linkages between India and Afghanistan are especially critical as Afghanistan struggles to move to a goods and trade based economy, the letter said robust trade in legitimate goods with regional partners, including India, will help avoid the erosion of the rule of law associated with the opium trade.

"The administration's much heralded "Pivot to Asia" called for a greater involvement with America's partners in that region.
"India and the US share an increasingly important common interest in promoting regional peace and international security," the two lawmakers said.
"As you prepare for the upcoming series of bilateral negotiations, we urge you to put these issues on the forefront of your agenda," Bera and Ros-Lehtinen said.
Kerry left Washington yesterday on a 10-day seven nation Asia trip, during which he will be in New Delhi from June 23-25 to co-chair the fourth annual India-US Strategic Dialogue with the External Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed.