Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar said that India and the United States should cooperate to strengthen bilateral ties and focus on partnership in education and culture.

He expressed hope that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States this month, the two sides will discuss collaboration in the education and business sectors, as well as strategies to deepen the bilateral relationship.

On Tuesday, Mr. Thanedar said, “As an Indian American Congressman, I am excited to welcome him to the United States Congress and to this country as a leader of the largest democracy in the world”.

Prime Minister Modi will be in the United States from June 21 to June 24, at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.

On June 22, the US president and the First Lady will also host Modi at a state banquet.

The US representative from Michigan’s 13th congressional district said, “Not only was I born there in India, but I also grew up in India. I believe that the United States and India, the two large democracies, need to have a much stronger relationship”.

Mr. Thanedar further said, “We should also discuss about the immigration issues, the visa issues, the Green Card backlogs. I think it’s about time that the two nations worked on making the relationship even stronger”.

He stated that the country now has a flawed immigration system that must be addressed.

Mr. Thanedar went on to say, “We need a bipartisan resolution of this issue and our immigration system is broken. That needs to be fixed. We haven’t really worked on immigration reform for quite some time now .. since the mid-90s”.

“It’s time that the two parties put their heads together and make a meaningful immigration reform including legal immigration”, he continued.

According to Mr. Thanedar, several countries currently have a 10 to 12 years backlog, causing significant hardship for families.

Mr. Thanedar stated, “Companies are looking for skilled workers. Our economy cannot grow without a skilled workforce. We need to train Americans as much as we can in terms of giving them the skills to get good-paying jobs”.

“At the same time, we have a larger population of South Asians and other science graduates and postgraduates and they are essential for America’s economic growth. I want to do everything I can to make sure that the American economy continues to grow, our GDP can grow even at a higher rate and we create more jobs for Americans”, Mr. Thanedar added.

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