"India is a world player…": Top White House official John Kirby

ndia is a "world player" as well as the net exporter of security and stability, US' National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Wednesday and adding that he is looking forward to deepening the relationship. "They (India) are already exporting security in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, and they are contributing to the Indo-Pacific Quad. We are participating with India in the I2U2. I think you understand that that's a multilateral arrangement for the Middle East. So India is a world player and a net exporter of security and stability," Kirby said in an exclusive interview with ANI.

"And we look forward to deepening that and seeing that continue to prosper," he added. Talking about the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Washington DC on Wednesday, and US President Joe Biden, Kirby said that the leaders' discussion will be "future-focused."

Mentioning key areas of cooperation between the US and India, he stated that in the next couple of days, India and US are going to be talking about defence cooperation, cyber, space, resilient supply chains, and climate change. "It's all about improving and deepening this bilateral relationship with India. It really is a forward-looking, future-focused discussion," the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications added.

PM Modi, earlier, attended the 'Skilling for Future' event at the National Science Foundation where he emphasised the need to nurture a pipeline of talent to sustain the growth momentum between the two countries. "To maintain growth momentum, India and the US need a pipeline of talent. On the one hand, the US has top-class educational institutions and advanced technologies. On the other hand, India has the world's biggest youth factory. That is why, I believe that the India-US partnership will prove to be the engine of sustainable and inclusive global growth," PM Modi at the National Science Foundation in Alexandria, Virginia in the US.

Highlighting the initiatives taken by the Indian government to secure a bright future for students such as implementing the New Education Policy and integrating education and skilling. PM Modi urged American students to come to India and said that hundreds of United States teachers are already in India, participating in a tech partnership.

PM Modi will attend the state dinner on Thursday which US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden are hosting. The Prime Minister will also address a Joint Sitting of the US Congress on the same day.

On June 23, the Prime Minister will be jointly hosted at a luncheon by US Vice President Kamala Harris and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Later on, he will meet business leaders of 20 top American companies here and is also expected to address a gathering of more than 1,500 diaspora and business leaders.