Speeches and Remarks

"Message to the President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam" from Dr. David C. Mulford, Ambassador of the United States to India

On the occasion of the Closing Plenary of the Indo-US Conference on Space Science, Applications and Commerce

Bangalore (India)
June 25, 2004

Mr. President: Thank you for addressing the participants of this historical bilateral Conference. The real success of this Conference in my mind lies in bringing together U.S. and Indian institutions, businesses and scientists to promote and cement links between our two great democracies.

With over 500 delegates from India and the United States representing a broad range of disciplines, organizations and perspectives -- although sharing a common vision for greater space cooperation -- this Conference demonstrates the true strength of the India-US bilateral relationship: the people to people ties.

As speaker after speaker shared throughout the Conference, there are tremendous opportunities for enhanced cooperation in civil space and in other areas of high technology commerce. From tele-medicine to tele-education to enhancing agricultural productivity and satellite communications systems, the potential for collaborative work is great.

The Next Steps initiative is the policy vehicle that our two governments are implementing to re-establish our cooperative efforts in space, and we encourage all Conference participants -- and others like you who share this common vision -- to lend your support to these efforts. Ultimately, it will be the private sector -- businesses, universities, research institutions, hospitals, and others like yourselves -- that delivers the goods and carries forward our civil space cooperation.

Mr. President and Conference participants -- thank you again for your dedication and service to realize the vision our leaders have set before us.

Ambassador David C. Mulford