Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], August 11 (ANI): US Charge d'Affaires Patricia Lacina has met with business leaders and entrepreneurs in Bengaluru and acknowledged the immense contributions of over 650 US companies in the city.

At a reception for commercial and business leaders on Wednesday, Lacina acknowledged the immense contributions of over 650 US companies in Bengaluru that employ tens of thousands of Indian citizens in high-standard work environments in the formal sector.

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She applauded their contribution to the US-India bilateral relationship - not only through their economic ties and investments but also through corporate social responsibility initiatives and a commitment to the development of employee skills.

"This year, as our two countries commemorate 75 years of diplomatic relations and trusted partnership, we celebrate a US-India partnership defined by President Biden recently as 'a deep connection between our people - ties of family, of friendship, and of shared values.' It is because of these shared values that U.S. and Indian firms work so well together, forging a path for innovation and prosperity" US Charge d'Affaires said in the statement.

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Earlier in July, India and the United States signed an Amended Letter of Agreement (ALOA) in the field of narcotics control and law enforcement cooperation, as per the US State Department.

The agreement was signed during the third meeting of the India-US Counternarcotics Working Group (CNWG) held in New Delhi on July 7-8.

"Mr Satya Narayan Pradhan, Director General, NCB led the Indian delegation and Mr Kemp Chester, Senior Advisor to the Director of National Drug Control Policy at the White House led the U.S. delegation," said the joint statement released by US State Department on Friday.

Recognizing that drug trafficking and related crimes emanating from the region can present a major threat, the two sides decided to increase coordination and information-sharing on the matter.

Both countries also agreed to include drug demand reduction topics under the umbrella of the CNWG and cooperate to fight the exploitation of unregulated chemicals and pharmaceuticals diverted by drug trafficking networks

"India and the United States agreed to include drug demand reduction topics under the umbrella of the CNWG. Both sides also agreed to cooperate to fight the exploitation of unregulated chemicals and pharmaceuticals diverted by drug trafficking networks and to share best practices for monitoring the use of unregulated chemicals in drug manufacturing," the joint statement said.

The two sides discussed closer cooperation on information-sharing and capacity-building in combatting drug trafficking and related crimes.

"Acknowledging the importance of bilateral capacity-building in fighting cross-border drug trafficking, the United States will organize training programs for Indian drug enforcement agencies on trafficking in fentanyl and related synthetic opioids," the State Department said.

The United States will host the next CNWG in 2023. (ANI)

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