India and US share unique bond of friendship, says White House

India and the US, which are the world's two largest and oldest democracies, share a unique bond of friendship, the White House said on Monday while speaking about US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan's visit to India.

Sullivan is in Delhi from June 17 to 18 on his first visit to India by a top Biden administration official after the Narendra Modi-led government came to power for a historic third term.

Addressing a press conference in Washington, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said Sullivan's trip to India will further deepen the already strong US-India partnership to create a safer and more prosperous Indo-Pacific.

"As the world's two oldest and largest democracies, the United States and India share a unique bond of friendship, and Sullivan's trip will further deepen the already strong US-India partnership to create a safer and more prosperous Indo-Pacific," he said.

Kirby said Sullivan will co-chair the US-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) in Delhi, which is a landmark partnership to expand strategic cooperation across key technology sectors including space, semiconductors, advanced telecommunications, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, biotechnology and clean energy.

On Monday, Sullivan met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, who was recently appointed to the post for a third straight term.

"Met US National Security Advisor @JakeSullivan46. India is committed to further strengthen the India-US comprehensive global strategic partnership for the global good," PM Modi tweeted on Monday.

Meanwhile, Kirby did not respond to queries about Indian national Nikhil Gupta, accused of being involved in a murder-for-hire plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil.

Gupta was extradited to the US from the Czech Republic and pleaded not guilty when he was produced before a federal court in New York on Monday.

"I don't have more to add to the conversations that Jake's having. He's still over there having these conversations. But the main focus of his visit, as I said, was to look for ways to deepen the US-India bilateral relationship, particularly when it comes to emerging technology," Kirby said.

India has publicly said a high-level inquiry was looking into the evidence shared by the US in the alleged plot to kill Pannun, the chief of the banned Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit.

(with inputs from PTI)