US envoy to United Nations Nikki Haley meets PM Narendra Modi in India. (Source: narendramodi.in)
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and held talks about strengthening US-India ties and cooperation, especially on counter-terrorism and in multilateral fora, as reported by ANI. They expressed confidence that strong India-US alliance will continue to be a significant factor for global peace and prosperity. Haley, who is on a two-day maiden visit to India, said her purpose of visiting India is to ‘solidify’ the Indo-US relations and develop stronger ties between two of the oldest democracies in the world, especially in counter-terrorism and military cooperation.
“I am here to once again solidify our love for India, our belief in the friendship that India and the US have and our willingness to make that relation even stronger,” she said.
Accompanied by US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, Haley termed her visit as coming back home. “It makes my heart happy to be back in India, it is as beautiful as I remember it to be. It’s always good to be back home,” Haley was quoted as saying by PTI.
Haley, who is scheduled to visit religious places in the city on Thursday, asserted the importance of religious freedom. “We think freedom of religion is as important as freedom of rights and freedom of people,” she said.
Haley stressed that there were multiple levels of opportunities for the two countries and how US and India shared common concerns such as the rise of China, countering terrorism, democratic opportunities and strengthening the military.
Visiting the Humayun Tomb, Haley praised its preservation attached to Indian culture, “Humayun tomb is a reminder of how much we value culture and how much India values culture. The preservation that has happened here is a reminder that we all remember where we came from and we have to preserve it for the future.”
During her visit, Haley will meet senior Indian officials, business leaders and students, underscoring America’s ‘strong alliance’ with the country. She is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj later today.