Indian envoy discusses ties with newly sworn-in US counterpart Eric Garcetti

Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Saturday met his newly sworn-in US counterpart Eric Garcetti and reviewed the immediate goals for strengthening bilateral relations between New Delhi and Washington.

“I congratulated @ericgarcetti on his appointment as US Ambassador to India. As he prepares to leave for India, we discussed some of the immediate priorities in deepening the bilateral partnership in line with the vision of our leaders. We look forward to working with Eric,” Sandhu tweeted on Saturday.

Former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was sworn in as the new US Ambassador to India by US Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday. Eric Garcetti, former mayor of Los Angeles, was confirmed by the Senate on March 15 (local time) to serve as the US ambassador to India.

During the swearing-in ceremony, Garcetti said, "I, Eric M. Garcetti, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear the true faith and allegiance that I take this pledge freely, without any mental reservation and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office into which I am about to enter."

Garcetti won the mandate by a vote of 52 to 42. This was also a significant achievement for US President Joe Biden, who stood by his political ally despite the accusations and the lengthy procedure that resulted in the absence of US representatives in the world's most populous democracy.

In a statement after the result, Garcetti said, “I'm pleased with today's conclusion. It was a decisive and bipartisan decision to fill a key post that had been open for far too long. Now comes the difficult part."

“I am deeply grateful to President Biden and the White House for their trust and support throughout this process, and to all senators on both sides of the aisle — whether they voted for me or not — for their careful consideration. I am ready and eager to begin my service representing our critical interests in India,” he continued.