'Pundits Are Wrong': US Envoy Defends Indo-Pacific Rename, Shares Trump-Modi Story
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US envoy Sergio Gor says renaming the Indo-Pacific Command does not weaken India-US ties, citing robust defence cooperation and partnership.
By Pranjal Gupta
New Delhi, June 30: Days after the Pentagon removed "Indo" from the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor defended the move, saying the decision does not mean that relations between India and the United States are weakening. He stated that the US still conducts more military exercises with India than with any other country.
"So, to all those pundits who sit online and tweet that this relationship is in trouble, when you look at the facts of where this relationship stands, whether it's trade, whether it's defence, or whether it's the people-to-people ties, the relationship is on strong footing," Sergio said at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit on Monday.
On June 16, the Pentagon officially renamed the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) back to its original name, the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), on the pretext of "restoring the legacy". However, the move sparked speculation as it came at a time when the US is rebalancing its ties with China.
"Indo" was added by US President Donald Trump during his first term as a symbol of placing India at the core of the strategy. The U.S. Pacific Command, which extends from the west coast of the United States to India's western border, was established in 1947.
Defending the US-India ties again, Sergio shared an incident to stress that everything is normal between the two nations.
"It was a couple of months ago... We were with the President at UFC in Miami, sitting backstage, and he said to me, 'Let's call the Prime Minister,'" Gor said.
"I said, 'Sir, it's 6:00 AM there in India.' He said, 'He (Modi) will be up. He is like me,'" Gor recalled Trump's remarks.
Gor said that by the time he managed to speak to a few people in New Delhi, Trump was already on the UFC stage, and the call with Modi was eventually scheduled for the following day.
"I just want to mention something because a lot of individuals made hay over a name change. I don't care what name is on a letterhead, but look at what the United States is actually doing," the US envoy said.
