Speeches & Remarks 2008
As prepared for delivery
REMARKS BY
CHARGE D'AFFAIRES STEVEN WHITE, U.S. EMBASSY
AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
INDIA AVIATION: SCALING NEW HEIGHTS
HOTEL TAJ KRISHNA, HYDERABAD, INDIA
OCTOBER 16, 2008
Let me express my gratitude to the Minister and the Ministry of Civil Aviation, as well as FICCI, for organizing today's conference and the air show. We also appreciate the warm and colorful Indian hospitality we have enjoyed here in Hyderabad, particularly at last night's dinner at the breath taking and beautiful venue of Falaknuma Place.
Minister of Civil Aviation Praful Patel, Secretary Madhavan Nambiar, Managing Director Hari Sankaran, Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) President Marion Blakey, Joint Secretary Mishra, distinguished panelists, delegations from other nations, and honorable guests, it is my pleasure to represent U.S. Ambassador David Mulford and the U.S. Government at India Aviation 2008. We are honored to be the official partner country for this premier air and trade show, and our government and industry team have thoroughly enjoyed interacting with all of you during this event on the immense opportunities for engagement in India's civil aviation marketplace.
The United States commitment to India's aviation industry - even in these tough times - is exemplified by the strong corporate presence at the U.S. Pavilion, where some of the most well known American brands and products are on display. The United States has 25 companies participating in the air show and more than 200 industry representatives in Hyderabad. I encourage all of you to visit Hall A at the air show exhibition site where you can take a look at the finest examples of state of the art U.S. aviation technology.
Our commitment to this event and indeed our robust bilateral relationship is further highlighted by our delegation of senior U.S. Government officials from the Federal Aviation Administration, Departments of State and Commerce, U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the U.S. Export-Import Bank. We believe that our dynamic team of both policy makers and industry leaders here today will promote an even closer partnership between our two great nations in the civil aviation sector, a key component of our overall relationship.
With India's economy expanding at an average rate of 8 percent per year over the last few years, the country is facing growing pressure to expand its air passenger and cargo capacity as well as improve its civil aviation infrastructure. U.S. industry stands ready and able to provide the solutions needed to ensure the safety, security, and convenience of the traveling public as well as to provide modern, efficient, and secure airports throughout India.
The U.S.-Indian engagement in the aviation sector has been a huge success and includes the historic Open Skies Agreement of 2005, the strategic public-private partnership framework of the U.S.-India Aviation Cooperation Program or ACP, and the U.S.-India Joint Aviation Steering Committee.
Let me take this opportunity to highlight some of these key areas of cooperation. One significant contribution by the United States to help India meet its infrastructure needs is the U.S. Export-Import Bank's India Infrastructure Facility (IIF). This facility is valued at $2.45 billion and provides special delegated line of credit to nine Indian financial institutions to support U.S. exports to Indian projects in various sectors. The partner Indian institutes include ICICI Bank, India Infrastructure Finance Company (IIFCL), Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI), Infrastructure Development Finance Company (IDFC), Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), Power Finance Corporation (PFC), Punjab National Bank (PNB), and the State Bank of India (SBI).
The landmark Open Skies Agreement has dramatically transformed our partnership. You can now fly direct or direct-non-stop between the United States and India on a choice of U.S. carriers -- American Airlines, Continental, and Delta - as well as Indian carriers like Air India, Jet Airways, and soon, Kingfisher Airlines.
In 2007, U.S. government agencies, our private sector, and the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation established the U.S.-India ACP. Under the ACP, public sector agencies partner with U.S. industry to identify and support India's civil aviation sector modernization priorities, including air service quality, airport efficiency, flight security, and air-space management. The agreement also seeks to promote enhanced safety, operational efficiency and system capacity in the Indian aviation sector as well as facilitate and coordinate aviation industry training and technical ties between the U.S. and India. For example, next week in New Delhi, the ACP will host an air traffic flow management seminar for Indian aviation officials presented by U.S. aviation experts.
I also want to emphasize that India's growing aviation market is one of the most important destinations for U.S. exports of aviation equipment and services. Our exports in the aviation sector have increased from $2 billion in 2006 to nearly $6 billion in 2007, and comprise nearly 35 percent of total U.S. exports to India.
Today, we are witnessing, tough and uncertain times in the global economy. Yet, despite these tough times, the relationship and bonds we have forged these last few years and indeed, in these last few days, will leave no doubt that the U.S.-India partnership in the aviation sector will continue scaling new heights. In closing, let me reflect on the fact that our aviation cooperation is but one aspect of a dynamic and growing bilateral relationship, which has soared to a level unimaginable just a few short years ago.
Today, the U.S. and India are engaged in virtually every area of human endeavor, from defense, health, and education, to agriculture and the environment, to name but a few. And, of course, how can we forget the historic civil nuclear agreement, which was signed just last Friday by Secretary Rice and Minister Mukherjee.
Ladies and gentlemen, thanks to the vision, commitment, and leadership of President George Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, we are at a defining moment in the U.S.-India relationship - one which will prove to be of enormous benefit for generations of Americans and Indians to come.