US Ambassador to India Timothy Roemer has said that Pakistan has a cancer of terrorism, a fact increasingly being recognised by Islamabad, and asserted that a stable partner on its border is in India’s interest.
“The US President said very frankly that Pakistan recognises that it has a problem. He also said that Pakistan has a cancer of terrorism. They are recognising it more and trying to address it,” Roemer told MSNBC in an interview.
“The more important strategic point and regional point is that India, in order to grow its economy, at 8, 9, 10 per cent, needs a more stable partner on its border,” he said.
“Let us be very clear about this. First of all, I think the US and India share a strategic and common interest in Afghanistan. Both countries want peace, prosperity and an independent Afghanistan,” he said in response to a question.
Roemer said President Barack Obama was in India to express this new strategic partnership between the United States and India, but it’s a two-way street.
“He is here fighting for jobs in America,” he said.
“He addressed this head on in the town meeting. He said both at a business meeting, in a town meeting, that’s the old way to look at this relationship. The new way to look at it for America and for American jobs and for India is to say how do we build this market of 1.5 billion people with shared values and shared benefits and get benefits for both societies,” he said.
“More and more people here will move from poverty into the middle class. As those people move into the middle class, we are talking about the possibility of a hundred million people who could buy American products,” he said.
Roemer said the US is the most respected country in India and the most popular country almost by a two-to-one factor.
“Obama is lighting up people’s faces everywhere. People can’t wait to meet him. He has a good chemistry with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” he said.
“The second thing I would say is the India-US partnership is one that is based on bipartisan ship. Both Democrats and Republicans want a strong relationship with India. This is a non-partisan area of US strategic importance with India. It is a very good time to be part of it,”