Washington, Sep 11 (IANS) Sergio Gor, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the US Ambassador to India, has called India a strategic partner “whose trajectory will shape the region and beyond”.

Gor, while appearing before the Senate for his confirmation hearing on Thursday, promised to strengthen defence and economic ties with India.

“India’s geographic position, economic growth and military capabilities make it a cornerstone of regional stability and a critical part of promoting prosperity and advancing the security interests that our nations share. India is one of the most important relationships our nation has in the world. I will work to deliver on a presidential agenda and advance US interests by increasing our defence cooperation, ensuring fair and beneficial trade deepening, energy security and furthering technology,” he added.

He also spoke about strengthening defence ties with India.

“I will prioritise deepening defence and security cooperation with India. This includes expanding joint military exercises, advancing co-development and co-production of defence systems and concluding critical defence sales,” he noted.

Gor also highlighted India’s demographic dividend, terming India’s population of 1.4 billion people and “its rapidly growing middle class” offer “immense opportunities for America, from artificial intelligence to pharmaceuticals to critical minerals, the potential for collaboration is vast.”

While introducing Gor, Secretary of State Marco Rubio described US-India ties as “one of the top relationships the United States has in the world today” and is in a period of “extraordinary transition.”

“In fact, it’s so important we’ve actually changed the name of the combatant command of the Indo-Pacific. India is at the core of that,” Rubio added.

On Wednesday, Indian Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra welcomed Sergio Gor’s nomination, saying that “President Trump is sending one of his most trusted aides to serve as the next US ambassador to India.”

“This move is viewed as a sign of importance and priority of India-US ties, and a commitment to strengthen the bridges and deepen the bonds of friendship between our two countries,” Ambassador Kwatra wrote on X.

On August 22, US President Donald Trump announced the nomination of close aide Sergio Gor as the country’s next Ambassador to India.

“For the most populous Region in the World, it is important that I have someone I can fully trust to deliver on my Agenda and help us, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Sergio will make an incredible Ambassador,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump had also announced Gor would also serve as a special envoy for South and Central Asian affairs.

The 38-year-old Gor is the Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office, entrusted with vetting more than 4,000 posts in the new Trump administration.

–IANS

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