US State Dept Spokesperson Says We Need India, Partnership to Solve Global Issues

US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus on Wednesday said that there are many global challenges that the US faces and that the country cannot face them alone. Ortagus added, "We need India, we need the partnership."

The US State Department Spokesperson welcomed the fact that India is now such an important global player. “We recognise that we need India, we need the partnership," Morgan Ortagus told news agency.

Underlining that India and US relations go beyond political parties, Ortagus said that Washington needs New Delhi's partnership to face many global challenges and to solve "big problems" on the world stage.

"The relations among India and the US are 'truly imperative' to the protection and security foundation of the two nations in the period of worldwide rivalry just as to guarantee opportunity of route and opportunity of the oceans," the US State Department's representative said. 

Oratgus comments come a day after US State Secretary Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark T Esper held 2+2 ecclesiastical exchange with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. Alluding to India as one of the "particular accomplices" of the United States, Ortagus said that it was an "fantastically significant" for Pompeo and Esper to go to India and have 2 discourse. 

The circumstance of the secretaries' visit holds hugeness as the US is going into the official political decision one week from now. 

"One reason why this 2 exchange is so significant is India has truly developed on the worldwide stage and truth be told that we know there are numerous worldwide



difficulties that the United States faces. We can't confront only them. We perceive that we need India. We need the association so as to take care of any of these enormous issues on the world stage," she said.

"Well, it's incredibly important for secretary Mike Pompeo and Secretary Esper to go to India to have this two plus two. You know, the relationship between the United States and India has been around for a very long time. It will be around for much longer in the future. The relationship goes beyond political parties, this relationship between the United States and India is important to everybody and our defence and security establishment, so you know we have many friends and allies of course around the world. But we have very selective partners like India, where we actually take the time to do the 2 2," she added.

Ortagus said that the two countries have reaffirmed that they are committed to the free and open Indo-Pacific region and that is "really important" in the era of global competition.

"So we know that both of our countries reaffirmed that we are committed to the free and open Indo-Pacific, and that's really important as we enter this era of global competition. One of the things that are going to be crucial and fundamental is freedom of navigation, freedom of the seas, free flow of trade of goods, and exchange of ideas," Ortagus said.

During 2+2 talks, India and US welcomed the growing understanding on the Indo-Pacific among like-minded countries and emphasized that the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea should not prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of any nation in accordance with international law.