Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Christina Rocca discussed growing bilateral relations with Indian Joint Secretary (Americas) S. Jaishankar on Nov. 22.

Rocca and Jaishankar agreed to work together to advance the relationship along the lines of increased cooperation achieved over the past two years and noted the U.S. and India are also working closely also to strengthen the global economy, solidify economic and commercial ties, and make progress in the war against terrorism and other global issues of concern, such as trafficking in persons, the State Department said. Rocca and Jaishankar also reviewed progress in the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership (NSSP), and stressed the importance of making steady progress on Phase II of the plan. “The NSSP will strengthen high technology trade and cooperation in civilian nuclear safety and space, and promote a dialogue on missile defense,” the State Department said.

The two officials also reviewed the progress in bilateral trade in high technology, the subject of last week’s interagency meetings at the Department of Commerce, and other U.S. government initiatives to strengthen cooperation with India across a broad range of fields.