A Strategic Partnership for the 21st Century
India and the United States have emerged as among the closest partners in the world, sharing a vision of a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific region. The two countries have deepened their cooperation across all dimensions of their comprehensive global and strategic partnership, based on trust, mutual understanding, and shared values of democracy, freedom, and human rights.
In 2023, India and the United States achieved several milestones in their bilateral and multilateral engagements, demonstrating their commitment to advancing the common interests and goals of their people and the world. Some of the highlights of the year are:
- In June 2023, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. visited India and held a summit meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where they reaffirmed their partnership of democracies and launched the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) to foster an open, accessible, secure, and resilient technology ecosystem and value chain12.
- In September 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed President Biden to India for the G20 Leaders’ Summit, where they discussed ways to accelerate sustainable development, bolster multilateral cooperation, and build global consensus around inclusive economic policies. They also announced the decision of NASA and ISRO to develop a strategic framework for human spaceflight cooperation by the end of 20231.
- In October 2023, India and the United States co-hosted the first-ever Quad Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, where they were joined by the leaders of Australia and Japan. The four leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the Quad as a platform for supporting a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific, and announced a range of initiatives on vaccine diplomacy, climate action, critical infrastructure, cyber security, and counter-terrorism1.
- In November 2023, India and the United States participated in the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, where they pledged to enhance their cooperation on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and finance. They also joined the Global Methane Pledge to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030, and the Powering Past Coal Alliance to phase out coal-fired power generation by 20401.
- In December 2023, India and the United States celebrated the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, and reflected on the achievements and challenges of their partnership. They also expressed their solidarity and support for each other in the wake of the foiled assassination plot against a Sikh leader in New York, allegedly orchestrated by an Indian government official34.
India and the United States have shown that their partnership is not only beneficial for their own nations, but also for the region and the world. As they look ahead to 2024 and beyond, they will continue to work together to address the emerging and evolving challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, and to uphold the values and principles that bind them together.