US Wants India as 'BFF', Ties Won't Change: Envoy

Mumbai, Sep 11 (PTI) The US wants to build a "BFF (best friends forever) relationship" with India, and a change of guard at the White House will not change ties between the two countries, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday.

Without naming China, Garcetti said if New Delhi has to contend with "regional competitors", it will have to reduce the dependence on a single country and added that such a reliance is not just an economic risk, but a security risk as well.

Speaking at the Milken Institute event here at a time when five pension funds with USD 1.8 trillion of assets under management are scouting for investment opportunities in India, Garcetti exhorted the Americans to invest more in the country for their own good.

Borrowing the acronym of the pension funds' tour christened Building Financial Futures, Garcetti made clear American intent on India-US ties.

"We want to build a BFF (best friends forever) relationship between the US and India," he said.

Deploying a colloquial phrase popular on social media, Garcetti said the relationship's nature has changed from one where it could be called as complicated to a new status where it can be called as "definitely dating".

He also made it clear that the relationship will not face any setbacks in the immediate future.

"We will have a new president in the United States, but one thing won't change which is America's devotion to and friendship to India," he said.

However, this was quickly followed by some advice for India.

"We recognise that for India to reach its full growth potential, as the largest democracy on earth, and to contend with regional competitors, among others, several things need to happen," he said.

"If we're overly dependent on any one country, we will all see economic risk, not just security risk," the ambassador added.

He cited India's struggles with buying machinery for manufacturing photovoltaic cells used in solar projects as a case in point where dependence on a single country is hurting.

"Similarly, during the pandemic as well, we saw people struggling to procure masks and critical medical equipment, Garcetti said.

Garcetti said he met Indian Navy officials earlier in the day and added that a lot of opportunities exist for cooperation.

He also welcomed India's commitment on the small modular reactors and called nuclear sector as a good prospect for cooperation.

The politician-turned-diplomat welcomed India's attempts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Asked about the controversial meeting of American officials in Srinagar with political parties, Garcetti said, "we are here to listen and learn", and added that the US has always stood with India in times of crisis like the one with China.