New Delhi: The US on Tuesday said that despite not having a US ambassador to India for the past two years, the country has always prioritised the bilateral relationship between the two countries and that having an ambassador is always important. In response to a media query on whether not having an ambassador on the ground in Delhi has impacted the India-US ties, John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, said, "It always helps if you have a Senate-confirmed ambassador in a country, particularly one that’s so important, like India, to us in the region and around the world".
"But, we didn’t let that stop us. President Biden has prioritised that bilateral relationship. And even though without an ambassador, we certainly had a very competitive charge there and a very competitive career staff in the embassy that was able to continue to advance our foreign policy interests in this bilateral relationship and did so quite effectively", added Kirby.
Also read: "Absolutely unacceptable": US condemns attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco
But, obviously, having an ambassador is always important, and we look forward to that, he said. This comes after the US Senate Committee announced the appointment of Eric Garcetti as the new US Ambassador to India. It is pertinent to note that despite being nominated by President Joe Biden almost two years ago, Garcetti’s appointment had been pending until now. Eric Garcetti served as the President of the City Council of Los Angeles for four consecutive terms and is known to be a close acquaintance of President Biden.
Further, on the matter of Khalistani extremists vandalising the Indian consulate in San Francisco, the US administration strongly condemned the vandalism and said 'it's unacceptable'. "We certainly condemn that vandalism. It’s just absolutely unacceptable. The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service is working with local authorities", John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, told reporters.
"I can’t speak for the San Francisco police, but I can say that the Diplomatic Security Service is working with local authorities to properly investigate. And obviously, State Department is going to be working, from an infrastructure perspective, to repair the damage. But, it’s unacceptable", he added.
In a meeting with the US Charge d’Affaires in New Delhi, India on Monday conveyed its strong protest at the vandalisation of the property of the Consulate General of India in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Kirby denied confirming a report that claims that the US provided intelligence to the Indian military that helped them repel a Chinese incursion that happened last year.
