| | JUNE 20208Vantage Point By Shashi Kumar Sharma, Principal Extension Specialist, Planning Implementation & Monitoring Cell, College of Horticulture and ForestryI ndia and the US bilateral relations have developed into a `global stra-tegic partnership', based on shared democratic values and increasing con-vergence of interests on bilateral, re-gional and global issues. The emphasis placed by the Govt. in India on develop-ment and good governance has created opportunity to reinvigorate bilateral ties and enhance cooperation with the motto - `Forward Together We Go and Progress for All', adopted during the first two summits of Indian Prime Min-ister Modi and President Obama in Sep-tember 2014 and January 2015 respec-tively. The summit level joint statement issued in June 2016 called the India-US relationship an `Enduring Global Part-ners in the 21st Century'. Regular ex-change of high-level political visits has provided sustained momentum to bilat-eral cooperation. Recently, in November 2017 in Manila, the Indian Prime Minis-ter Narender Modi had a wide range of talks with US president Donald Trump, and both agreed for raising the ties be-yond bilateral domain and work jointly for the future of Asia, reflecting their growing convergence on strategic is-sues. Following the successive efforts of past and present administrations, the quantum of relationship has doubled and both the fastest growing economies see their future in the aligned interests and values. Today, the India-US cooperation is broad-based and multi-sectoral, cov-ering trade & investment, defence &d security, education, cultural exchange, agriculture, science & technology, cybersecurity, high-technology, civ-il nuclear energy, space technology & applications, clean energy, and health. Cooperation in education sector has been made an integral part of the stra-tegic partnership between the two countries. India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and US Ambassador Loy Henderson in 1950 signed the In-do-US bi-national agreement on educa-tional exchange, which established the United States Educational Foundation in India (USEFI) to administer the Ful-bright Program. Today, it is known as United States-India Education Foundation (USIEF). USIEF engages institutions of AGRICULTURAL HIGHER EDUCATION, INDO-US COOPERATION STRENGTHENING FOR FIGHTING GLOBAL POVERTY & HUNGER
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