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Trump nomites Kenneth Juster as ambassador to India
New York, Sept 2: President Dold Trump has nomited Kenneth Juster who helped lay the foundations of the India-US nuclear cooperation agreement, as the new ambassador to New Delhi.
The nomition was announced by the White House on Friday evening. It will have to be approved by the Sete. His nomition is a mark of importance that Trump places on building closer economic, trade and strategic relations with India. Juster, 62, had served as the Deputy Assistant to the President for Intertiol Economic Affairs from January to June under President Dold Trump. He was also the Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security from 2001 to 2005 under former President George.w. Bush.
Juster still holds the position of Acting Counsellor of the Department of State. The New Delhi position has been vacant since January when Richard Varma resigned along with most political appointees of former President Barack Obama’s administration.
The nomition of the new envoy follows Trump’s announcement in his Afghanistan policy speech last week that “another critical part of the South Asia strategy for America is to further develop its strategic partnership with India”.
As the Under Secretary for Commerce, Juster played a key role in developing the civilian nuclear cooperation agreement between US and India. During his tenure, he founded and chaired the US-India High Technology Cooperation Group, and played an important role in developing the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP) initiative. The NSSP laid the foundation for increased civilian nuclear and space cooperation, and high-technology trade and expanded dialogue on missile defence.(IANS)