Kerry in India to attend investment summit
January 11, 2015
US Secretary of State John Kerry reached India's western city of Gandhinagar on Sunday to participate in an international investment summit which would focus on promoting responsible and sustainable development.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to inaugurate the "Vibrant Gujarat" conference on Sunday and speak to Kerry about US President Barack Obama's trip to India later this month to attend the country's Republic Day celebrations.
"The United States is going to be a key player and a key partner in the transformation and rejuvenation of the Indian economy and this is a win-win for both countries and for both peoples," a senior State Department official said, speaking to French news agency Agence France Presse.
Kerry was also scheduled to visit a Ford auto factory, which is to shortly begin operations.
The Indian prime minister was expected to promote his "Make in India" campaign, launched last September to boost the country's manufacturing sector. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim were also due to attend the summit.
Improving ties
Ties between Modi and the US government have thawed after Washington lifted a travel ban on the rightist Indian leader after he won the Indian elections with an absolute majority.
Modi had been banned from travelling to the US after communal anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat in 2002, which left more than 1,000 dead. Modi, chief minister of Gujarat state at the time, was accused of doing nothing to stop the violence, a charge he has always rejected.
Modi visited the US last September and received a tremendous welcome from Indian expats and the US government.
mg/cmk (AFP, AP)