Ambassador Nirupama Rao met Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from Florida on April 17, 2012 at Capitol Hill in Washington D.C.  She is the senior-most House Republican woman presently in the U.S. Congress. 

Ambassador Rao and Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen discussed the present state of India-U.S. relations, and the global strategic partnership between the two countries. Ambassador Rao informed the Congresswoman about the recent developments in the relationship and India’s perspective on regional and global issues of common interest. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen spoke of shared values and complementarities between India and the U.S. and the broad spectrum of opportunities, including in the economic sector, for the two countries to collaborate. Ambassador Rao also gave an overview of trade and business ties between India and the US  and the bright prospects for business and economic cooperation that existed in the partnership. Ambassador Rao expressed her deep appreciation of the commitment expressed within the US Congress to build a stronger and even more substantive US-India relationship.

Their discussion also included the regional situation in India's neighborhood. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen welcomed India’s positive contribution to Afghanistan’s reconstruction and viewed U.S.-India partnership as having an important role in contributing to Afghanistan’s progress and wellbeing.

Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen invited Ambassador Rao to visit Florida, and conveyed her interest in continuing to remain in touch with Ambassador Rao.
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