Trajectory is getting higher and stronger: US Congressman Michael Waltz on India-US ties

New Delhi

US Congressman Michael Waltz, who was in attendance at Red Fort for India's Independence Day celebrations, has applauded the growing partnership between New Delhi and Washington.

Waltz, who is the co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, spoke to WION correspondent Sidhant Sibal in New Delhi on Tuesday (Aug 15) and described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address on Independence Day as "detailed, and very forward-looking".

Highlighting the depth of the India-US relationship, he said, "The trajectory is only getting higher and stronger."

He underscored this growth across various sectors, including "pharmaceuticals, biotech, space, maritime shipping, energy, renewable energy, and liquid natural gas."

He also spoke about the Khalistan violence and the growing challenge posed by the Chinese Communist Party.

Here are excerpts

WION: Since you were at Red Fort listening to Indian PM Modi’s speech, can you describe what stood out to you the most?

Michael Waltz: Well, it was a beautiful, amazing setting and what a historic setting. I mean the place of India's first Independence Day speech by Nehru, the first prime minister. But I think what really jumped out at me was to hear Prime Minister Modi's vision for India to be a fully developed nation by the 100th year anniversary, by 2047. It was very detailed, it was very forceful, very forward-looking. I thought it was a great speech and it was an honour to be there.

WION: What's your assessment of the India-US relationship?

Michael Waltz: Well, I think the trajectory is only getting higher and going stronger and it's across so many spheres. It's in pharmaceuticals, biotech, space, maritime shipping, energy, renewable energy and liquid natural gas and of course, military and defence. So, there are many industries that relationships coming together. I think that is evidenced by Prime Minister Modi having only been the only the fifth ever world leader to have a joint address to Congress twice. And then now the president coming here for the G20. That high level of engagement, I think speaks to the strength of the relationship.

WION: How do you see the diaspora playing an important role in connecting the two countries?

Michael Waltz: Well, I've grown up with Indian-American families my whole life, I've been to two Indian weddings. I think the cultural bond is really the glue between the two countries. India has such a historic, rich culture. But then the Indian Americans brought that culture to the United States, which is a melting pot of all different cultures. So, I think it's those people-to-people contacts that are so important.

WION: What’s your take on sustainability and climate change

Michael Waltz: I think we all have a long way to go. And the way to get there is through a balanced energy portfolio. It can't be just solar or wind. It has to be nuclear, hydrogen, hydro, and oil and gas for modern economies to keep growing and to have the energy to support it. I think you need all of the above approaches and not one just over the other. And I think our countries are working well to achieve that.

WION: We saw Khalistani extremists indulging in violence against the Indian consulate in US and in other countries. What's your take on that?

Michael Waltz: Both the Democrat and Republican, who are the co-chair of the house India caucus, apart from myself and representative Ro Khanna, have condemned that violence. It's unacceptable. There's no place for it. It is just unacceptable.

WION: There’s also the visa issue. Is the India caucus doing anything to reduce the long waiting time to get US visa?

Michael Waltz: I'm the co-chair of the India caucus and also on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. We have oversight of the US State Department. We've had a number of hearings and pushed the State Department to issue visas faster. And they have brought the time down, which they announced during Prime Minister Modi's visit, but it needs to come down further. We are looking for highly educated, STEM-focused engineer workforce types of positions in the United States and in our universities. The Indian economy is growing and from a technological standpoint, I think we need to get those times down and we're working hard to do that.

WION: How do you see India’s ‘Make in India’ policy, focusing on local manufacturing?

Michael Waltz: I certainly support it. I think every strong economy and strong democracy wants to be able to defend itself and to be able to make that equipment. But it's not just the co-production which I support. It's also conducting joint exercises, like the Malabar exercise, that's happening right now in Australia with the Australian, Indian and the US, militaries all working together. So how do we employ that equipment in our training, operations, tactics and planning together, which I think will help stabilise the Indo-Pacific and serve to deter a very aggressive Chinese Communist Party from many of the bad actions it's currently taking right now.

WION: What’s your assessment of an increasingly aggressive China?

Michael Waltz: It's not just the Chinese people who are the victims of an aggressive, authoritarian Chinese Communist Party, it's also Taiwan, the South China Sea, the Philippines, India, Tibet, the United States and Australia. This is really a destabilising force across the Indo-Pacific, and I think like-minded democracies working in partnership together, whether that's co-production of defence, working together in space, IT, or technology across the board will deter that type of aggression and make it clear to the Chinese Communist Party that they can't get away with it.

WION: Do you think Taiwan is the next theatre of war, given how the situation has been? How do you see India and Taiwan engaging?

Michael Waltz: We're seeing more and more aggression from the Chinese Communist Party towards Taiwan. This is a thriving democracy, a technological leader in its own right. And yet we're seeing more and more... we almost saw a blockade of Taiwan during Speaker Pelosi's visit which, again, is unacceptable. These are things that need to be worked out diplomatically, not militarily, and certainly not through the threat of violence. I hope the United States and India continue to work together as a stabilizing force across all of the Indo-Pacific.

WION: Pakistan is also a cause of concern for India, especially terrorism. What's your take on terrorism getting support from the government in many senses in their own sovereign territory?

Michael Waltz: I've said to my Pakistani counterparts many times that terrorism cannot be a tool of foreign policy. And whether that's through Lashkar-e-Taiba or other types of terrorist groups, it's just unacceptable. And the Pakistani government and the Pakistani military and intelligence services have to move past that and will continue to press them to move in the right direction and not use terrorism as an instrument.

WION: Is Russia a concern for the India-US relationship? India shares cordial relations with Russia. What's your assessment of that?

Michael Waltz: I certainly am understanding of the long history of the India-Russia relationship. But I think going forward, I hope, through time, that relationship moves in different directions. India is a growing powerhouse of democracy and economy, while Putin has shown that he is moving Russia in the wrong direction, sadly. So, whether that is moving from a military standpoint or equipment supplies or from an energy supply standpoint, (India) moving away (from Russia) is going to take time. That's a long-standing relationship economically and militarily and it's going to take time to move in a different direction, but I think it's moving. The trend is a positive one over time.

WION: Do you think that the Quad grouping can provide an effective maritime security in the wider Indo-Pacific, and keep it free and open?

Michael Waltz: The Quad relationship is broader than just military. I mean, the most recent, you know, big deliverable or achievement was actually an educational exchange. So it's education, it's in technology, it's in space, it's in pharmaceuticals, but it's also in the military as well. And that's where these exercises are so important of learning, how each other does planning, does operations and how we can work together, and I do think that it will be a stabilising force. Australia, Japan, the United States and India together are a very powerful combination. They are all going to operate independently in their own interest, but also come together when it makes sense.

WION: Today marks the completion of two years since Kabul fell to the Taliban. Do you think President Biden has many things to answer for that?

Michael Waltz: I think the withdrawal was handled very badly. We now have a situation where terrorists control an entire country. Many of those terrorists, the Taliban, and the Haqqani Network, have a long history with the Pakistani ISI—the intelligence services. And I think that's a danger for the region. It's a danger to the world. And unfortunately, I fear the first place that will be felt is in India. So, I do think that was a mistake. But we will continue to push for accountability of what mistakes were made, and how we stabilise and work with India and other allies to hopefully keep those bad actors within Afghanistan.

WION: Certain NATO weapons have fallen in the hands of ISIS (K) in Afghanistan

Michael Waltz:  I fear they are spreading all over the region. And frankly, it was a mistake.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE