00:01I've only been on the job for a year and a half, Sergio, so I still have plenty of time
00:04to mess it up.
00:05So let's not do those proclaimments here, but that's a very, very nice introduction,
00:09and I want to thank all of you for being here today and what all of you do.
00:12First, I do want to recognize the work that Ambassador Gore is doing, who's a friend of mine before he
00:17came here.
00:18And we knew when he would come here, he would be a dynamo, and he would have energy to the
00:21mission,
00:21and I hope you've perceived that his excitement for the job is palpable, and you see it in the results.
00:28Second, I want to thank all of you to help us here in this mission.
00:31And let me begin, and I don't think our folks will be offended if I do this.
00:34I always begin by recognizing and thanking our locally employed staff.
00:39If you're here, I just want you to know you are an important part of our family.
00:42We could not do our job without you.
00:48They really are.
00:49I mean, they are the institutional memory.
00:51You know, our folks, as you know, rotate every two or three years.
00:54We come and go.
00:54We go back.
00:55We go back to D.C.
00:56They go to other places.
00:57They move on to other assignments.
00:58But every time a new officer comes in, every time someone new comes in, it is that institutional memory of
01:04the locally employed staff that allows us to avoid the early pitfalls, learn from the past, and hit the ground
01:10running.
01:10And so we're grateful to all of you for what you do.
01:13I want to comment about two things.
01:15First, about this building.
01:16To be here, I believe in my – not do I believe.
01:19I know that in my year and a half as Secretary of State, it's the first new building that I
01:24get a chance to cut the ribbon on or inaugurate.
01:30And obviously, this facility, because of all the upgrades it provides us, it makes it easier for you to do
01:35the job.
01:36But I think, as Ambassador Gore outlined a moment ago, the building stands as more than just brick and mortar.
01:40It's more than just the structure.
01:42It is, I hope, a sign of our commitment to this important relationship between the United States and India.
01:46It is – this relationship between our two countries is at the cornerstone of our approach to the Indo-Pacific.
01:54A lot of people aren't aware of this, but I was sworn in as Secretary of State on Tuesday –
02:00or Wednesday, it was a Tuesday after the inauguration.
02:03Within the hour, I was at the State Department, spoke briefly, as is tradition, in the lobby of that building
02:09to our staff, and then went immediately upstairs to the eighth floor.
02:12And my first meeting, my very first meeting, officially as Secretary of State, was a meeting of the Quad.
02:19And we were going to renew that.
02:20We did it again last year in a second – in a different setting, and we chose to do it
02:24here.
02:24We wanted to do it here, not just because of our commitment to that structure of work, but also as
02:29a tangible sign of what an important role India plays in the United States and in our posture and in
02:35our approach to the Indo-Pacific.
02:42Anchoring that is the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister.
02:46It's a personal relationship that dates back to the first administration, when the President had a chance to visit here,
02:51and it has carried over into this second administration.
02:54And you can just see the connection between them, and I think that's incredibly important.
02:58It is.
02:59The connection between leaders is incredibly important.
03:01These are two very serious leaders that are focused not just on the short term, but on the long term.
03:07And so I think that that is important to note because it's a key part of the foundation of the
03:14relationship between our countries.
03:16And just in the past year, we've seen this partnership deepen in ways that don't often make headlines or aren't
03:21splashy, but are important and real and tangible and enduring.
03:24We've expanded commercial ties now with more than $20 billion in investments, $20 billion in investments from Indian companies in
03:32the United States.
03:33We've deepened a security partnership through military exercises in the Indo-Pacific.
03:38And of course, as part of that, we recognize that an orderly and a secure consular system is vital to
03:45solidifying this important relationship.
03:47That's why we're introducing a new America First visa scheduling tool that prioritizes business professionals that strengthen these ties.
03:57But the facility, as I said, is not just for those that are applying for visas.
04:01It's also for you, the Americans who work here, the men and women of this mission who are at the
04:05front lines every single day of advancing America's national interest and in America's national security.
04:13So it's an honor, really, to be here today.
04:15I wanted to keep this brief because it's hot.
04:20It's hot.
04:21Although it's not humid.
04:22Like, I'm from Miami.
04:23There's a humid hot and then there's this hot.
04:25But it's like, what time is it?
04:26It should be getting cooling off by now.
04:29And so I don't want to keep you here much longer than you need to be.
04:32But I just want to say one thing.
04:35This facility saved Americans money because it's going to make us more efficient.
04:39It's going to allow us to do the work we have to do anyways, but allow us to do it
04:43more accurately, faster, and in a more efficient way.
04:46And so this is very important.
04:48And again, I want to close by thanking the team here at the U.S. Embassy for your hard work,
04:54for your professionalism, for your patriotism.
04:56The work you do benefits your country and benefits Americans that are here and ultimately Americans back home and across
05:04the globe.
05:04And it is at the cornerstone of this important partnership between us and India, which, as I said, is an
05:10incredibly important one.
05:11And it's the reason why I'm here in this visit to reaffirm those ties, to build upon them.
05:16And we think in the months ahead, we're going to have even more exciting and new announcements to make about
05:22the development and the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries.
05:25And all of you will be at the forefront of that.
05:27So thank you very much.
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