Washington: US President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Congressman Mike Waltz as his Nationwide Safety Advisor. By choosing Waltz as his prime diplomat and NSA ensures a continuation of bi-partisan assist and additional strengthening of the India-US relationship beneath the second Trump administration. The information of the key appointment got here because the Republican social gathering received a majority within the Home of Representatives, thus giving Trump management over each the wings of the US Congress.
The position of the NSA doesn’t require Senate affirmation. However a query triggered with Waltz’s name– whether or not he could be a good selection for strengthening India-US relations? The query appears vital amid the very fact Washington had proven a troublesome stance on the assassination try of American citizen and Khalistani terrorist Gurupatwant Singh Pannun.
Will Trump’s NSA Decide, Mike Waltz, be useful for India?
In response to Indian-American Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, Mike Waltz could be “good” for the India-US relationship. Khanna, 48, and Waltz, 50, are respectively the Democratic and Republican Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian People, which is the biggest country-specific caucus within the Home of Representatives.
“I’m assured he will likely be excellent for the US-India relationship,” Khanna advised information company PTI quickly after the information broke that Walz was tapped by Trump as his Nationwide Safety Advisor.
Waltz would change Jake Sullivan because the Nationwide Safety Advisor after Trump is sworn in because the forty seventh President of america on January 20, 2025. “I’ve an awesome relationship with Mike Waltz, and he was all the time good to work with. We travelled to India collectively after we led a delegation in 2023 for India’s Independence Day,” Khanna advised the information company. Each Khanna and Waltz have labored collectively on various key points associated to India US relationship.
When Waltz advocated for PM Modi’s deal with to the US Congress
Final Might, Khanna and Waltz wrote a joint letter to the then Home Speaker Kavin McCarthy requesting him to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a joint deal with to the US Congress. “As we rejoice the seventy fifth anniversary of India’s independence and US–India relations, we write to you as Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian People with a shared dedication to strengthening the bilateral relationship between america and India,” they wrote in a letter dated Might 23, 2023.
The 2 Co-Chairs of the India Caucus stated the inspiration of this partnership lies within the shared dedication to democracy and the upholding of a rules-based worldwide system. Waltz after being elected because the Co-Chair of India Caucus in January final yr had stated that India is the world’s largest democracy and an vital strategic companion for america.
“That’s why I’m honoured to function the Co-Chair of the Home India Caucus this Congress to make sure we proceed this partnership, strengthen political, financial, and safety ties between our two international locations, and shield democracies in Asia and worldwide,” he stated.
When Waltz helped India throughout COVID-19
On the peak of the COVID-19 disaster in India, Waltz who then together with Khanna was co-vice Chair of the India Caucus, signed a letter with India Caucus Co-Chairs Congressmen Brad Sherman and Steve Chabot, to hurry medical provides to India. Within the letter dated April 29, 2021, the India Caucus leaders argued it’s “within the US curiosity for everybody in India to be vaccinated. “Additional, we ask that you just share with India surplus doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine as quickly as potential. Lastly, we additionally perceive that India is keen to domestically produce high-quality US vaccines. We hope that you just work with the personal sector to evaluate how the US can greatest advance cooperation on this regard,” they stated.
In a press release, Waltz then stated India is the world’s largest democracy and a vital ally in America’s world competitors with China.
‘China hawk’ Mike Waltz
Waltz has spoken constantly in opposition to China and has been instrumental in a number of legislations within the Home of Representatives. In February 2021, Waltz launched a decision calling on the US to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics ought to the Worldwide Olympic Committee not transfer the video games to a unique nation.
In March this yr, Waltz, Ro Khanna (together with Chairman of the Home Overseas Affairs Committee Michael McCaul led a bipartisan letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Linda Thomas-Greenfield requesting the State Division to proceed advocating for the discharge of arbitrarily detained people in China, together with Uyghurs and different ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, all through the period of the Folks’s Republic of China’s Common Periodic Assessment (UPR) course of on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
(With inputs from company)
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