Indo-US relationship yet to reach on auto-pilot mode:Ronen Sen

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Mar 5 (PTI) Even as the landmark Indo-US
civilian nuclear deal has opened a new vista of relationship
between the two countries, it is yet to reach a certain
critical mass where it can acquire a momentum of its own,
Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen said Thursday.

As the Indian Ambassador to the United States since
August 2004, Sen has been instrumental in taking the Indo-US
relationship to an altogether new level, which could not have
been contemplated some five years ago.

The two countries, not only inked the historic
civilian nuclear agreement, but also the trade between the two
nations have doubled, and the US considers now India is a
strategic and natural ally.

Addressing a meeting of US India Business Council
(USIBC) on Indo-US relationship, Sen said both in terms of
"symbolism and substance" the historic nuclear deal has been a
remarkable achievements. It has opened up vistas, which one
could not have had contemplated earlier.

Sen received standing ovation from the US business
leaders, who attended the meet, as an acknowledgment to the
great contribution he has made to the relationship between the
two countries.

Now preparing to leave Washington as India's top
diplomat in the US, after nearly five remarkable years, Sen
said he can now look forward with confidence in future. But
there is still some distance to travel, to put this
relationship on an auto-pilot mode, he observed.

"It is not that we have reached a stage, where you can
put this relationship on an auto pilot. We need to care, we
need to nurture it. It still has to reach a certain critical
mass where it can acquire a momentum completely on its own,"
Sen said.

"This relationship among other things, has acquired
certain resilience of its own, because it is not only on the
basis of shared ideals, shared values, shared aspirations, but
also intersection of interest, common concerns, but also it
has been on the basis of mutual respect and benefit," he said.

Since his arrival to Washington some five years ago,
Sen said Indo-US trade has more than doubled, the US exports
to India has more than trebled. It is not that only the US is
investing or creating jobs in India, it is being done by India
also, he said.

Even as both countries can now look forward with
confidence in future, Sen said there are some challenges that
need to be overcome. These challenges, in fact he said are
actually opportunities, "as we have discovered".

"We are still on a journey still; we look at new
destinations. In the process, we have learnt to reach out to
each other. The two countries have passed out the stage of
mistrust. We can now reach out to each other," he said.

Acknowledging that there are differences between the
two countries on a number of issues, Sen said: "But today I do
not see any major area where you have difference in terms of
long-term objectives."

One of the reasons, that the nuclear deal did became
possible, Sen said as people realized that "we do share common
challenge there. That is the threat of nuclear proliferation."

The Ambassador said India is not perceived or seen in
a sub regional perspective, but in a broader perspective.

"That realization has helped. What you have seen today
is the realization and the many of the challenges that India
faces -- terrorism or any other issue -- these are no longer
regional or sub-regional issues, cause and effect issues,
these are global issues, which have to be tackled globally,"
he added. PTI LKJ
PMR