Washington, DC [US], February 8 : US-India Strategic Partnership Forum has congratulated Kurt Campbell on his US Senate confirmation for Deputy Secretary of State. USISPF noted that Campbell's new position as number 2 in the US State Department is testimony to his diplomatic skill and to the importance of the Indo-Pacific for India and the US.
The US Senate confirmed US President Joe Biden's top Asia aide, Kurt Campbell, as the Deputy Secretary of State on Tuesday (local time), Voice of America (VOA) News reported.Campbell will replace Wendy Sherman, who retired on July 8 and will serve as the US State Department's second-ranking diplomat behind US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Praising his work in the US administration over the years, USISPF said Kurt Campbell has been a vital architect of Washington's increased focus on the Indo-Pacific. It said that various critical initiatives like Quad cooperation among the US, Japan, India and Australia started to bring meaningful benefits to the entire region with a focus on climate, health, technology and infrastructure.
In a statement, USISPF stated, "Dr Kurt Campbell has been a vital architect of Washington's increased focus on the Indo-Pacific as it became the most important geostrategic and geopolitical region in the world."
"Under Dr Campbell's leadership, critical initiatives like Quad cooperation among the U.S. and India, Australia, and Japan started to bring meaningful benefits to the entire region with a focus on climate, health, technology, and infrastructure. He also guided the creation of the I2U2 and the India Middle East Economic Corridor which will enhance stability and prosperity in the decades ahead," it added.
USISPF stated that Kurt Campbell has consistently driven closer ties between India and the US, including across innovation and technology, through the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology.
During his tenure as the White House National Security Council coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell stressed that the US, while in competition with China, does not want conflict or confrontation. He stated that the US is committed to working with its allies and managing competition with China responsibly, according to VOA News report.
In his testimony for his nomination hearing in December, Campbell stated, "Today's challenges are truly global. What happens in one region affects the others. Our competitors are collaborating - just look at China, Iran, and North Korea's support for Russia's war of aggression. We are stronger across-the-board due to our alliances and partnerships."
During the nomination hearing, he said, "China believes that we are in hurtling decline. It is critical that we prove otherwise." He highlighted the urgency of advancing new 20-year funding agreements with three Pacific Island nations Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau to counter China's regional influence.
He also expressed concerns over North Korea's actions, including supplying military equipment to Russia amid its ongoing war with Ukraine and bolstering Pyongyang's missile and nuclear capabilities, according to VOA News report.
Earlier in November, US President Joe Biden picked Kurt Campbell to serve as Deputy Secretary of State, the White House said in a press statement.
As per the White House statement, Campbell served as assistant secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs from 2009-13 during the Obama administration. He played an important role in shaping US' "pivot to Asia" policy during former US President Barack Obama's administration, VOA News reported.
Among the other positions, he has held during his distinguished career, Campbell served as US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs, White House Fellow at the Treasury Department, and as Director of the Democracy Office at the National Security Council during the Clinton Administration.
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