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WASHINGTON — Today U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus and Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, issued the following statement following Prime Minister Modi’s address to a joint session of Congress:

“Prime Minister Modi’s address to Congress today emphasized the strong friendship that has been built between our two countries, fostered by a range of close economic ties and shared opportunities. I’m pleased to see President Biden and Prime Minister Modi utilize this visit to continue to deepen the bonds between our countries and expand our cooperation on defense, trade, technology, and innovation. It’s also more important than ever – in the face of rising global authoritarianism – that we respect and reaffirm the shared values that form the foundations of our respective nations, such as democracy, universal human rights, tolerance and pluralism, and equal opportunity for all citizens. As the Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, I look forward to this continued partnership because I know that the U.S.-India relationship is one that’s worth investing in.”

Earlier this week, Sen. Warner introduced legislation to streamline the United States’ ability to consider defensive military sales to India under the U.S. Arms Export Control Act (AECA). This legislation would support ongoing security cooperation between the two nations by adding India to a list of counties outlined under the AECA – like Australia, Japan, Israel, New Zealand and South Korea – that have access to an expedited 15-day consideration and a higher financial threshold for deals that trigger Congressional review. He also joined his colleagues in introducing a resolution celebrating the relationship between the U.S. and India.

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