U.S. Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer
Press Conference – August 12, 2009
Opening Remarks

Good Morning. Naamaste. I just want to greet my wife Sally in the back of the room. And also say that my four children are ensconced in school, and hopefully you won’t run into our dog meandering around the Roosevelt House. It is a great pleasure to be here with you today. 

Yesterday I presented my Letter of Credence as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of India from President Obama to President Patil.  With my letter, I offered President Patil the warm regards from our President and from the people of the United States of America.

Prior to my departure from the United States last month, I met with President Obama for nearly an hour to discuss the U.S. – India relationship.  Aside from the good advice he offered me about getting out of New Delhi to meet Indians all around this country, he spoke warmly and respectfully about Prime Minister Singh.  In fact, when we had this discussion at the White House, the President touched his heart and he said, “You make sure that you extend my heartfelt wishes to the Prime Minister and his health.” He said that he views the U.S. – India relationship as one of the most important partnerships for America’s future. 

The President’s vision is clearly shared by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Her four day visit last month – in which I participated – clearly demonstrated her passion for this country, its people and the broad areas in which we are engaged.  Secretary Clinton is deeply committed to the success of the U.S. – India partnership and I am certain she will be a frequent visitor to India to consult with your government on our shared concerns.  The strategic dialogue which we announced at the end of Secretary Clinton’s visit represents a robust agenda that we intend to advance:  Strategic Cooperation; Energy and Climate Change; Education and Development; Economics, Trade and Agriculture; and Science, Technology, Health and Innovation. 

These are big, bold and a broad series of undertakings.  But that’s President Obama’s way.  The world has been impressed by the broad series of undertakings his Administration has begun and the many challenges Americans face trying to address these challenges.  We see our relationship with India in terms of its many possibilities – and we have chosen to work on many of them simultaneously and with the goal of dramatically advancing our partnership.  We plan to move from the good work done and the goodwill earned between our countries over the past decade to build a truly global partnership addressing both our nations’ top concerns and promises of better health for our children’s futures.

Put another way, a new strategic partnership on the most critically important issues in the world to help advance our shared regional and global interests. As the U.S. Ambassador in India, I plan to vigorously support our broad strategic dialogue using all of our Embassy resources and all of our friends back in Washington to bring the best of America forward in our engagement with India.  We intend to announce some of the most tangible results of our partnership this November, when Prime Minister Singh travels to Washington for an official visit.  The Prime Minister has invited President Obama to visit India, too, and we are all looking forward to that visit.

In addition to our work on our strategic dialogue, we will continue to improve some of our important working relations.  The United States stands firmly with India against terrorism.  FBI officials are testifying this week in Mumbai in the 26/11 trial.  We cannot forget that six Americans were killed along with dozens of Indians and so many others in that tragic and brutal attack.  We will continue to seek justice for those killed and injured in Mumbai and we will work closely with India to share with you the lessons we learned in the wake of our tragic terror attacks of September 11, 2001.  To that end, we have invited the Indian Home Minister Chidambaram to visit the United States for additional discussions on precisely how our two nations can cooperate.

“India is the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition,” so wrote Mark Twain, America’s celebrated 19th century author.  While the past is certainly alluring to many of us, it is the future—it is the people to people relationships, teacher to teacher, businessman to businesswoman, farmer to farmer, doctor to doctor, these relationships, these global possibilities and strategic partnerships – these are the parts that are exciting about the future of this U.S.-India relationship.  But the real test of our partnership will be how we work together on the important common global challenges of our era.

Finally, let me just say that I am delighted to meet with all of you in the press today here at the historic Roosevelt House.  As I have said, we have an ambitious agenda with U.S. relations with India and I intend to vigorously pursue this relationship with the support of the President, the Secretary of State, and all of our friends in India and back in Washington.  My instructions from the President and the Secretary of State could not be clearer.  I will plan to meet with you in the press from time to time and keep you apprised of our progress and try to my best ability to answer your many good questions.