U.S President Barack Obama’s recent visit to India increased expectations of more strategic partnership between U.S and India. The visit was seen to be very useful for both countries, as well as Pakistan – a strategic partner of the United States.
During the visit, it was clear that the Obama administration faces a diplomatic tight rope in raising ties with the growing global power India, while at the same time helping Pakistan with billions of dollars in aid – Indian Pakistani relations in the past had been strained and marred by unresolved conflicts over Kashmir.
Responding to questions from students at a college in India’s financial hub, Obama toed a cautious line between the two nuclear-armed foes, saying both were needed to help stabilize Afghanistan where thousands of US troops battle militants.
The president spoke briefly, thanking the Indian people for their hospitality and saying he hoped his trip would strengthen the friendship between the two nations. He also said “the partnership between the United States and India will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.”
There are many benefits which are actually being kind of hidden during the visit like the unveiled deals worth 10 billion dollars designed to create 50,000 American jobs in an ailing economy.
According to Lydia Polgreen of The New York Times, more than once during his three-day visit Obama called the relationship between India and the United States “the defining partnership of the 21st century.” The relationship between Prime Minister Singh and President Obama has evolved into a mutual friendship as well.
Obama called Singh his guru, and on Monday Singh called Obama “a personal friend and a charismatic leader who has made a deep imprint on world affairs.”
Singh added that, “the long and complicated relationship between the United States and India has veered from warm embrace long before independence to the uneasy frostbite of the cold war to the reconciliation of recent years, built on shared democratic and multicultural values and a desire to balance the influence of a rising China.”
Going further than any US president before, Obama backed India’s quest for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. Obama’s visit reflects the shift in power to emerging nations since the financial crisis.
Obama urged India to work towards improving relations with Pakistan, adding that “Pakistan can sort out this crisis through self-correction.”
He exhorted India and Pakistan to resolve their differences and called on Islamabad to do more against militants, but acknowledged the country was making progress against what he called the “cancer” of extremism.