Nancy Powell's pledges to cement US-India strategic partnership. Aziz Haniffa reports
In a rare honour, and perhaps unprecedented in the annals of Indian diplomacy in the United States, Ambassador Nirupama Rao will travel to Gainesville, Florida, on Friday to deliver the graduation address to the University of Florida's Doctoral Degree Commencement Ceremony.
Reaching out to the Sikh community in the wake of the shooting incident at a Gurudwara in Wisconsin, United States Ambassador to India Nancy Powell on Monday offered her prayers at a Gurudwara here and said the incident will be probed thoroughly.
Seasoned American diplomat Nancy Powell, who was sworn in as United States ambassador to India, has identified five priority areas to take the relationship between the two countries to a new level. "Our look forward will encompass: Bolstering trade and investment to reduce barriers, including through negotiation of a bilateral investment treaty, and expansion of the areas where we can do business, including full implementation of the Civil-Nuclear Agreement," Powell said.
Anti-US protests against an American-produced film which allegedly insults Prophet Mohammed, took a violent turn in the Middle East as the US embassy in Cairo was attacked and its consulate at Benghazi in Libya was set on fire, killing one American consular official.
The growing influence of the Central Intelligence Agency and Pentagon in shaping relations with Pakistan was a key reason behind United States Ambassador Cameron Munter's decision to quit his post, the media in Islamabad claimed on Wednesday.
Expansion of defence and trade ties, cooperation in new areas and combating common global threats with enhanced mutual partnership will be the key priorities for United States Ambassador-designate to India Nancy Powell. In a video message, the 64-year-old career diplomat, who will arrive in New Delhi later this week, said she shared President Barack Obama's vision of India and America forming one of the "definitive partnerships" of 21st century.
Strongly condemning the attempted rocket launch by North Korea, the United Nations Security Council on Monday took steps to tighten sanctions against the country, ordering new "entities and items" to be added to the sanctions list.
The government of India in welcoming the new United States ambassador to India, erstwhile India and South Asia hand, Nancy J Powell, has said that while India would not be new to her, it would not be the same either, considering the transformational changes India has undergone.
United States Ambassador Nancy Powell on Thursday met Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and assured him US will share with India its inquiry report in the US navy ship firing incident in which one Indian fisherman was killed in Dubai.
India and Pakistan are "quietly" making remarkable progress in improving ties and this pace should be continued, former United States ambassador to India Timothy Roemer has said. "I believe one of the best stories of the world today, one of the quietest stories of the world today and may be it should be kept so -- is this historic progress in these negotiations and talks between India and Pakistan," Roemer said.
'An economic slowdown affects a country's ability to modernise its defence capabilities as rapidly as possible.'
The Lashkar-e-Tayiba founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed has served legal notices on two Pakistani journalists for allegedly concocting a report about his secret meeting with United States Ambassador Cameron Munter, seeking Rs 10 crore as damages.
Avtar Singh, president of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak committee which controls and runs Sikh shrines, told rediff.com that he plans to lodge its protest with the United States ambassador in India against the comment made by television anchor Jay Leno on Harmandir Sahib while presenting a programme on US elections.
As Hafiz Saeed openly made fun of Washington over announcing a bounty on a man who moved freely across Pakistan, Munter, who is known for his conciliatory approach, decided to pacify the JuD chief in a one-on-one meeting in Islamabad which was kept secret and which is still not being confirmed officially by either side, reports Amir Mir from Islamabad
United States Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter has decided to step down this summer after serving less than two years and is likely to be replaced by a diplomat serving in Afghanistan, a move that comes at a time when the bilateral ties are at a critical juncture.
The strengthening ties between India and United States have made Pakistan paranoid. Fearing that US might just discard it, Pakistan is now turning to its "enduring friend" China, believe America's powerful couple in diplomatic circles -- former ambassadors Howard and Teresita Schaffer. Aziz Haniffa reports
Following is the statement issued by Ambassador Roemer, announcing his decision to resign
Kelly Knight Craft has been ambassador to Canada since October 2017. She previously served as an alternate delegate to the UN during the George W Bush administration.
Just two months before she was killed in a terror attack, former Pakistan prime minister Benazir Bhutto had approached the United States ambassador in Islamabad, asking for help to evaluate her personal security. But her request was ignored, the latest cables published by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks have revealed. Bhutto handed over a written request to US Ambassador Anne W Patterson two months before she was killed, asking her to carry out an evaluation of the security
The 2008 Mumbai terrorist attack by the banned Pakistani militant outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba almost started a war between India and Pakistan that might have resulted in some kind of nuclear conflict, former United States Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer has said.
It might be a good idea to look beyond American disappointment (understandable) and pique (avoidable).
Janshakti Party chief Uma Bharti has advised Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi against following the guidance of senior party leader Digvijay Singh, warning that the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister's advice could land him in a real soup.Bharti was reacting to the observations made by Gandhi about 'saffron terror' during his conversation with United States Ambassador Timothy Roemer, which was exposed by WikiLeaks on Friday.
United States Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer congratulated the Indian and Pakistani students who have won the Sixteenth Annual International Space Settlement Design Competition, sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Boeing, in New Delhi on Tuesday. The students also expressed their happiness over their achievement.
Jon Huntsman, till recently the United States Ambassador to China, formally announced his 2012 presidential bid on Tuesday, calling for an a need to withdraw from wars and rebuild "our core here at home".
United States Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer on Saturday said that induction of C-130J 'Super Hercules' aircraft in the Indian Air Force on time is a win-win situation for both the countries.
United States Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer on Tuesday asserted that America was not adopting double standards while dealing with 26/11 and 9/11, and said that both the countries have come closer since the attack. "I respectfully and strongly disagree with you," Roemer told mediapersons at the Gandhi ashram in Ahmedabad while answering a query on whether the US was adopting double standards on the issue.
Fifty-four-year-old Roemer, a political appointee, wants to go back to Washington due to some personal considerations, US embassy sources said.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had told United States ambassador Timothy Roemer that the growth of 'radicalised Hindu groups', which create religious tensions in India, could pose a bigger threat to the country than activities of groups like Lashkar-e-Tayiba.
Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi's statement that Hindu extremism poses a bigger threat to India than Laskhar-e-Tayiba militants has not gone down well with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The Congress leader's conversation with United States ambassador to India Timothy Roemer was revealed on Friday in the latest WikiLeaks expose.
India's policy-makers and commentariat need education on foreign policy,
According to Politico, Huntsman, who will resign on April 30 and who is considering a bid for the Republican nomination in 2012, was with his family members.
In a rare briefing with the then United States ambassador to India, the International Committee of the Red Cross in 2005 expressed concern over alleged human rights violations in Kashmir and spoke about torture in detention centres, though it pointed out that the situation was much better than in the 1990s.
In a virtual snub to separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, United States Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer on Friday said he met only Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during his two-day visit to the state as he was the elected representative of the people. "The purpose of the visit is that he (chief minister) is the elected leader. The chief minister is the person who represents the people here in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Michelle Obama hits it off yet again with children, reports Sahim Salim.
Though she does not speak a word of Hindi, Michelle Obama struck an instant chord with school children who waited for over three hours to meet her at the National Crafts Museum on Monday.
United States Ambassador to India Timothy J Roemer on Monday called on Bharatiya Janata Party president Nitin Gadkari and is understood to have discussed the nuclear liability bill, which is being opposed by the party. Sources said Roemer called on Gadkari to discuss the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill and allay apprehensions expressed by the BJP about the proposed legislation. BJP is opposing the Bill.
Notwithstanding the opposition posed to the nuclear liability bill, the United States on Monday said it is "optimistic and positive" about conclusion of the historic nuclear deal with India in the coming months.
Roemer also said that the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010 would benefit both US and India."The passing of the bill by the Indian parliament would mean a win-win situation for both the countries", he said, while adding, "generating employment as well as giving India abundant clean energy." He said, "I am sure it is a very good story for both the countries."
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