- MUMBAI —
US ambassador to India Eric Garcetti on Thursday described his tenure in the
country as the "most extraordinary", and said India captured his
heart.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti addresses a gathering
on 'Peace and the role of the U.S. - India defence and security partnership',
in Mumbai, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (PTI Photo/Shashank Parade)
- During his interaction with select media representatives on
the sidelines of a programme here, he said the relationship between India and
the US holds "endless possibilities".
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- Garcetti, whose term as the US ambassador to India is ending
soon, said his stint in the country was the most extraordinary job of his life.
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- "This was to be in the right place at the right time
with the right relationship," he said.
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- "President Joe Biden had said India was the most
important country in the world to him and if you want to work on the future,
you need to come to India. No US president has ever said this," he said.
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- "India US relationship is the defining relationship.
All of us know that building peace is to deter war, to make sure it doesn't
occur. Borders should be sacred and sacrosanct. Rules are the only way to keep
peace," he said.
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- Hailing the relationship between the two countries, he said,
"We are resilient and desirous of being closer. I welcome India's role in
the world - be it for peace in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, patrolling the
Indian Ocean. We love to see India's growth. It's a strong, proud India the
modern world has never seen."
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- On the current political situation in Canada, he said it was
tough to be an incumbent.
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- "These are challenging times for leaders - be it in
Canada, US, East Asia. People want change and solutions overnight...India and
the US are models of stability. Even if leaders change, values don't," he
added.
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- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his
resignation Monday in the face of rising discontent over his leadership and
after the abrupt departure of his finance minister signalled growing turmoil
within his government.
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- Responding to a query on Indian billionaire Gautam Adani,
who has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to
pay over USD 250 million (about Rs 2,100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in
exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts, he said, ''I have no
comment on it. We have an independent criminal justice system."
