WASHINGTON: Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has said that technology cooperation featured prominently in the discussion between India and the US and described it as one of the most substantive outcomes of the ongoing state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Kwatra briefed reporters on the outcomes of the second day of Modi’s visit that began here with a grand ceremonial welcome at the South Lawn of the White House.
It was followed by bilateral discussions, remarks to the press, an address to the joint session of the US Congress and the state dinner where high-profile invited guests included Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita Ambani, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai.
“Very clearly, technology, in particular, advanced technology, across all domains ranging from defence to space and energy is one of the most important substantive outcomes,” Kwatra told reporters in a media briefing on Thursday.
“Technology featured in talks, not in a limited way but technology cooperation across the ecosystem. This included technology transfer, services and working together in research among other domains,” he added.
Kwatra said one theme which has run through the visit is the “exceptional warmth and hospitality” US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden extended to Modi. “The visit has been extremely rich in form and equally, if not more, rich in substance,” he said, describing the trip as “path-breaking”. He referred to various deals, including in defence, to highlight the visit’s achievements.
“Besides the reference in the US Congress to the challenge of terrorism, the prime minister said that even after the two decades of 9/11 and a decade of 26/11, the problem of terrorism remains a pressing challenge for the global community,” Foreign Kwatra said.