US Secretary of State John Kerry is visiting India. His trip focuses on pressing India to drop its opposition to global trade reforms, which the US has described as a test of the country's commitment to economic liberalisation.
He, along with US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, speaks to NDTV's Prannoy Roy. Here are the highlights:
- Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State left big footsteps for me to fill in
- We are excited about what PM Modi wants to do for the people
- Attitude and tone of the new government is most exciting. There is so much opportunity and optimism as far as relation between the 2 countries are concerned, says US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker
- Penny and I are here not to look backwards but to move forward
- Narendra Modi was denied visa by a different government, we will welcome him
- We will welcome PM Modi, he will definitely get a visa
- We are looking forward to a terrific Obama-Modi meeting in September
- We are sympathetic towards India's food security challenge
- On Snooping: Don't discuss issues of intelligence in public. Can assure you, but President Obama is doing his best to be open.
- On Gaza: What worries me that an organisation that has been internationally recognised as a terrorist organisation starts firing rockets on another country. No country can sit back and watch this. Nobody is working hard than I am for a ceasefire between the two countries.
- Can't determine if excessive force has been used, we're trying to stop the violence
- Palestinians deserve a country, we support a two-state solution, but it has to be worked out at negotiating table
- We support India getting a place in the nuclear supply group. We are also supporting a permanent place for India on UN Security Council.