Image

Modi writes another success story with love fest in America

By Arun Kumar Published on 29 September, 2015
Modi writes another success story with love fest in America

 

Washington, Sep 29 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up yet another hugely successful visit to the US with a warm hug for President Barack Obama, a courtship with Silicon valley and a love fest with the Indian diaspora.

As Obama said after an hour-long meeting in New York on Monday with "good friend" Modi, building on his "wonderful visit" to Delhi in January, "We've elevated our ties. We've committed ourselves to a new partnership between our two countries."

Modi agreed they had "achieved significant progress in our bilateral cooperation and international partnership" and welcomed "the progress in giving shape to our joint strategic vision on Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region".

As anticipated, Obama chose to focus on climate issues. India's leadership at the Paris climate change conference in December, he believed, "will set the tone not just for today but for decades to come".

Obama said he was encouraged by "the aggressive nature" of Modi's commitment to clean energy,

Modi said he and Obama "share an uncompromising commitment on climate change without affecting our ability to meet the development aspirations of humanity".

But Modi also made it clear to Obama, French British Francois Hollande and British Prime Minister David Cameron, whom he met separately, that a negative approach of capping emissions or adding restrictions was not going to help. Instead a positive approach that includes help for developing countries like financing and technology transfer was needed, he said.

Modi also won renewed support from the big three for India getting a permanent seat in the Security Council and asked them to have the UN reform process completed within a "fixed time frame".

Modi said after meeting with Obama "we have resolved to further deepen cooperation on counter-terrorism and radicalism".

But beyond the power meetings with Obama and other world leaders, the real measure of Modi's success was writ in his wooing the big business and winning over the tech titans of Silicon Valley.

From Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai, Indian-American chief executives of Microsoft and Google to Apple's Tim Cook and Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg everyone seemed keen to get behind Modi's digital dream.

If Pichai offered to bring wireless Internet or WiFi to 500 railway stations across India, Nadella outlined Microsoft's plan to help Indian government take low-cost broadband to half a million villages.

Qualcomm promised a 10 billion rupee fund for startups in India "to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy".

It will also set up a number of 'design houses' for product innovation in India.

And selling his dream of turning India's $8 trillion economy into a $20 trillion economy at a Facebook Townhall with a promise of four Ds -- demography, democracy, demand and now de-regulation -- he told investors: "Want to Invest? I Have an Address - India."

But it was the rock star like reception he received in Silicon valley reminiscent of the "Madison Square Garden moment" on the eve of his summit with Obama last year that wowed them all.

Modi "wooed and wowed the tech crowd" and "conquered" Silicon Valley, as the influential New York Times put it.

Modi's trip, said the Washington Post, had made Silicon Valley "a must-see destination for world leaders" and "signals the rising influence and economic power wielded by this technology hotbed."

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

Modi wraps up US visit; meets Obama, pushes for UNSC reform

New York, Sep 29 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrapped up his five-day US visit, ending with a summit meeting with US President Barack Obama that focused on climate change and gave another push to India's demand for reform of the UN Security Council at a separate UN summit on Peacekeeping.

Modi's America visit saw him also travel to the West Coast, visiting San Jose, where he interacted with the leaders of US tech giants.

In a message before leaving for home, Modi said his US visit demonstrates the "extraordinary depth and diversity" of the bilateral relationship and a lot of ground has been covered in his five days stay in the US.

Modi flew down early Monday morning from San Jose. He held bilaterals with British Prime Minister David Cameron and later with French President Francois Hollande.

The India-US summit meeting, that lasted an hour, saw Modi and Obama exchange warm hugs in greeting - in a reiteration of their personal chemistry and the strengthening of bilateral strategic ties.

Obama in his media statement after the talks with Modi, recalled his January visit to India for Republic Day, terming it a wonderful visit.

He said their talks focused much on climate change and the upcoming climate change talks in Paris. He said both sides agreed that it is a crucial issue and all countries have responsibility towards fighting climate change.

Obama said he was "encouraged by the impressive nature of Modi's commitment to clean energy. And I really think the Indian leadership in the upcoming Paris conference will set the tone not just today but in the decades to come (on climate change)".

Both sides also discussed trade, investment, defence and education.

Modi, in his statement, said that the US president and he "share an uncompromising commitment on climate change, without affecting our ability to meet the development aspirations of humanity. We have both set ambitious national agendas".

"As terrorism threats grow, we have resolved to deepen our cooperation," Modi said.

He also thanked Obama for the US' support to India for a permanent seat in a reformed UN Security Council and appreciated US' support for India's membership of the international export control regimes within a targeted time frame.

Modi said India looks forward to working with the US for India's early membership of Asian Pacific Economic Community.

In his address at the Leaders' Summit on UN Peacekeeping, hosted by the US, Modi said India is ready to contribute monetarily to a memorial for slain UN Peacekeepers.

Modi announced new contributions to the UN Peacekeeping Operations.

"These include additional battalion of up to 850 troops in existing or new operations; additional three police units with higher representation of female peacekeepers; commitment to provide critical enablers; deployment of technical personnel in UN missions; and, additional training for peacekeepers at our facilities in India and in the field," Modi said.

Pushing for long-awaited reforms of the UN Security Council, Modi stressed that the success of UN peacekeeping "ultimately depends not on the weapons that the soldiers carry, but on the moral force that decisions of the UN Security Council command".

"We must complete the long-pending task of reforms within a fixed time frame of the UN Security Council to preserve the relevance and effectiveness of the UN," he said.

He also raised the demand of troop contributing countries for greater say in the UN Peacekeeping mandate.

In his final engagements, Modi held bilateral talks with President Mahmoud Abbas of Palestine, and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

In a series of tweets before emplaning for New Delhi, Modi thanked the American people for their warm welcome and hospitality.

Modi writes another success story with love fest in AmericaModi writes another success story with love fest in AmericaModi writes another success story with love fest in America
Join WhatsApp News
Tom Abraham 2015-09-29 10:33:59
Modiji should love America, and secularism , broadmindedness of Americans.
Instead, back in India he should not be afraid to resist to RSS strategies.
Christian churches or workers helping the poor, must not face any harassment. India of tomorrow must thank the British and American Allies in the fight against terrorism from Pakistan. Not hate Muslims or Christians. Time will tell the truth. He should respect his partner, and women in India.
മലയാളത്തില്‍ ടൈപ്പ് ചെയ്യാന്‍ ഇവിടെ ക്ലിക്ക് ചെയ്യുക