Global Watch

NIKKI Haley, US Envoy To UN, Is In India For Dialogue With Indian Leaders

UNITED States’ Ambassador to United Nations Nikki Haley has arrived in New Delhi on a two-day official visit for talks with senior Indian officials, NGO and business leaders, students and the inter-faith community. Talks between Haley, the highest ranking Indian-American in the Trump administration, and Indian officials are expected on a host of issues. She said the Indo-US relationship is at multiple levels including counter-terrorism and military aspects adding her visit is for solidifying the partnership between the two democratic nations. Haley, who is on her first visit to India after becoming US envoy to UN, had first visited India in late 2014 when she was South Carolina Governor. Born to immigrant Sikh parents from Punjab in the US 46 years ago, she asserted that religious freedom is as important as freedom of people and their rights. Accompanied by US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, she visited the majestic tomb of Mughal emperor Humayun in Delhi on Wednesday and termed her visit as coming back home.”It makes my heart happy to be back in India, it is as beautiful as I remember it to be. It’s always good to be backing home. My parents said I was crazy to come at this time of the year because it is so hot. But, I will tell you that the heat is worth it to be back in India,” she said. US and India are the oldest democracies that shared values of people, freedom and opportunities.”We see those opportunities between the US and India in a multiple level of ways whether in counter-terrorism, whether it is the fact that we want to continue democratic opportunities, whether it is a fact that we want to start to work together more strongly in military aspects,” she said. Haley said that there are a lot of things common between India and the US and her visit was to solidify the friendship.”In this day and time, we see more and more reasons for India and the US to come together.  I am here to once again solidify our love for India, our belief in the friendship India and the US have and our willingness to make that relationship even stronger,” she said. Appreciating preservation of Humayun tomb as a reminder of value attached by India to culture, she said, “Humayun tomb is a reminder of how much we value culture and how much India values culture. The preservation that has happened here is a reminder that we all remember where we came from and we have to preserve it for the future.”Haley, who is scheduled to visit religious places in the city tomorrow, asserted the importance of religious freedom.”We think freedom of religion is as important as freedom of rights and freedom of people,” she said.  India-US strategic ties and significant global developments are expected to be discussed during her visit. She is the first Indian-American to serve in a Cabinet-level position in any US presidential administration.(image courtesy  google)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.