The U.S., in an apparent softening of its support for ousted Honduran President Manuel Zelaya, won't impose economic sanctions on Honduras and has yet to decide whether Mr. Zelaya's removal from office constitutes a coup.

A letter from the State Department to Sen. Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, states that the U.S. "energetically" opposes Mr. Zelaya's June 28 ouster. But the letter also expresses the harshest criticism yet of Mr. Zelaya's own actions that preceded his removal from office, including trying to change Honduras's constitution to potentially stay in power.

"We energetically condemn the actions of June 28. We also recognize that President Zelaya's insistence on undertaking provocative actions contributed to the polarization of Honduran society and led to a confrontation that unleashed the events that led to his removal," Richard Verma, the assistant secretary for legislative affairs, said in the letter, reviewed Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal.

The letter went on to say that U.S. policy wasn't aimed at supporting one person in particular, a reference to Mr. Zelaya, but to supporting the Honduran people's aspirations for democracy.

With Washington unwilling to take drastic steps such as sanctions to restore Mr. Zelaya to power, it seems increasingly unlikely that the leftist politician will return to his seat, analysts said. Honduras's interim government, backed by much of the country's establishment and middle class, appears unwilling to have Mr. Zelaya back, and Washington seems in no mood to force the issue.

"In Honduras, Washington's wavering will be seen as a sign that the government can wait it out until the elections and that the costs they are bearing for international isolation, while considerable, are preferable to the risks of allowing Zelaya to return, even for a limited time and with his authority curtailed," said Michael Shifter at the Inter-American Dialogue, a nonpartisan think tank on hemispheric affairs in Washington.

A State Department spokesman, who was unaware of the letter to Mr. Lugar's office, said "there has been no decision to soften the policy on Honduras." He added that the administration still supports a return of Mr. Zelaya to power, as called for in the mediation plan by Costa Rica's President Oscar Arias. The Supreme Court of Honduras has ruled that Mr. Zelaya's return as president would be illegal.

Analysts said the administration is staking out a middle ground, sending a message to Latin America that coups are unacceptable while not giving too much support to Mr. Zelaya, whose close relationship to Venezuela's populist leader Hugo Chávez has raised hackles among U.S. Republicans. Elected as a centrist, Mr. Zelaya took a sharp left turn in the past two years and became an outspoken critic of U.S. policy.

Sen. Lugar had asked the administration to explain its policy on the Honduran political crisis, warning that otherwise the Senate might delay confirmation of the top Latin America post in the State Department.

"I'm glad to see the State Department is finally beginning to walk back its support for Manuel Zelaya and admit that his 'provocative' actions were responsible for his removal," said Sen. Jim DeMint, another Republican member of the foreign relations committee.

A spokesman for Mr. DeMint said the move wasn't enough for the senator to lift his hold on the confirmation hearings for Arturo Valenzuela to become assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs.

WASHINGTON—Forty-one foreign companies had some form of commercial activity in Iran's energy sector over the past five years, despite American laws that could prompt U.S. sanctions against such firms, according to U.S. government auditors.

The report, to be released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office, found that some of the companies are headquartered in some of the U.S.'s closest allies, including Japan and South Korea. A similar GAO study conducted three years ago found half as many companies involved in Iran's energy sector.

The latest report found that 23 of the companies were involved in developing Iran's natural-gas industry while another 14 had deals in the crude-oil sector. Other companies were involved in pipelines and petrochemicals.

Among those the GAO listed are China's national oil and petroleum companies; OAO Gazprom of Russia; Petróleo Brasileiro SA of Brazil; and Royal Dutch Shell Group of the Netherlands.

The report, however, is based on publicly announced deals in Iran's oil, gas and petrochemical industries, and not on actual investments.

Government auditors said they made no attempt to independently investigate the deals.

Absent any actual investment on the ground, many of the companies are unlikely to have run afoul of U.S. law, specifically the 1996 Iran-Libya Sanctions Act, which allows for sanctions against any foreign company that invests more than $20 million in Iran's energy sector.

The report said it made no determination as to whether violations of the act had taken place.

In addition, some of the companies listed—including oil groups ENI SpA of Italy, OAO Lukoil Holdings of Russia, and Total SA of France—have already announced they will no longer do business with Iran.

Still, the report is likely to add fuel to arguments made by congressional critics that the U.S. isn't doing enough to punish companies doing business with Tehran.

It also comes as members of Congress are debating legislation that would impose unilateral sanctions against Iran, including restricting sales of refined petroleum products to the country.

In response to Congressional inquiries, State Department officials have said some publicly reported investment in Iran's petroleum could run afoul of the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act.

In a March 16 letter to Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.), a leading critic of the Obama administration's Iran policy, Richard Verma, the State Department's head of legislative affairs, said the administration has yet to reach any conclusions in those cases.

Mr. Verma also noted that many deals, particularly those reported by Iranian media, never actually materialize.

But Mr. Verma also wrote that his department has new concerns about China, which has become Iran's largest market for oil, adding that the administration was monitoring the activity for violation of U.S. law.

"There is increased activity in Iran's energy sector by Chinese companies that raises concerns," Mr. Verma wrote. "We are monitoring these cases very closely and addressing this in bilateral discussions with the Chinese on a regular basis."

House and Senate appointees hold their first meeting on conferencing their respective Iran sanctions bills tomorrow. 

The public conference meeting takes place on Wednesday, 1pm in SVC 210/12 in the Congressional Visitors Center. It's an initial opportunity for members to voice their views on the bill, in a process that is expected to take at least a few weeks.

The House appointed their Iran sanctions conferees last week, and the Senate theirs last month.

Meantime, the State Department's Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Rich Verma wrote a letter to Rep. Ron Klein (D-Fl.) last week, saying the department takes enforcement of the Iran Sanctions Act very seriously.

"We continuously monitor all reported investment in Iran's petroleum sector, and we assess all such cases in light of the act," Verma wrote in the April 22nd letter.

While some companies have publicly announced they would not pursue any new activities in Iran at this time, Verma said, citing Total, Statoil and ENI, there is, on the other hand, "increased activity in Iran's energy sector by Chinese companies that raises concerns," Verma wrote. "We are monitoring these cases very closely and addressing this in bilateral discussions with the Chinese on a regular basis." 

"If the Secretary makes a final determination that sanctionable activity has occurred, Congress will be promptly notified," Verma wrote, in response to Klein's February 18th letter to Secretary Clinton.

United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accorded Richard Verma a rousing farewell at the State Department's ornate Thomas Jefferson Room. He exited after more than two years of serving as her principal Congressional affairs advisor in his capacity of assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs.

There was much humour and emotion at the event, attended by several senior administration officials. They included President Barack Obama's National Security Advisor Tom Donilon, Clinton's Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills, United States Agency for International Development Administrator Dr Raj Shah, Verma's wife Melineh, parents, sisters, brother, close friends, and the entire Bureau of Legislative Affairs staff.

Mills, who had initially offered Verma the job and had set up his interview with Clinton, kicked off the farewell ceremony. She said Verma, with "grace wisdom, steely determination and unflappable will, helped us all be bigger than we are, and achieve more than we dreamed when we first walked through this door."

Donilon said it was "a real privilege to be here to be paying tribute to an extraordinary public servant, a great friend, and a wonderful human being."

He recalled his first meeting with Verma over a decade ago on Capitol Hill, and noted: "You couldn't help but be struck by his depth of foreign policy and his knowledge of how foreign policy works." 

He spoke of how Verma had always imbued "trust and confidence," and credited him with a laundry list of the administration's "foreign policy legislative victories of the last few years, from funding our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to achieving what many thought was not possible to last year, the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (with Russia)."

Donilon also brought with him a personal letter from President Obama, which he read out. It said, 'Dear Rich, I extend to you my sincere thanks for your valuable service to my administration. Over the past two years, our country has faced a host of challenging foreign policy and national security issues. At each turn, your skilled judgment and leadership has helped shape effective Congressional engagement. You played a key role in our efforts to ratify the New START treaty, to manage the response to the tragedy of the Haiti earthquake and to negotiate a powerful Iran sanctions bill.'

Obama's letter added: 'You worked in a demanding environment and always responded with able advice and good humour.  I appreciate your dedication and professionalism. Please accept my best wishes and thank you again for your contribution to the country.'

But Clinton stole the show, starting off with a humorous anecdote about how upset she was that she was going to lose Verma as her close and faithful advisor.

She said, "My mother lives with us in our house here in Washington, and I was saying goodbye to her this morning and she said, 'What's wrong, you don't look very good --that's what mothers are there for!' And I said, 'Well, I know, I am not just in a very good mood today.' And she says, 'Well, you know, there's so much going on in the world, all over the country, and the economy.' But I said, 'No, it's not it; it's Rich Verma.'"

The nearly 100 guests cracked up.

Clinton said, "Richard has just been our superb point person on the Hill. He hasn't just been an absolutely, exemplary deal-closer and problem-solver, he has been a counselor and friend in the truest sense of the word. He has been there for every one of us -- as I look around the room at the senior leadership here, at the State Department, and Raj Shah from USAID. He's really been there for us, every step of the way."

She recalled how Verma "helped me get through my own confirmation hearing. He hadn't even been confirmed as assistant secretary, but he'd already worked with me to prepare my testimony and I knew as he sat behind me in that hearing room, that he literally and in every other way, had my back."

She said, when two years later, "there I was back on the Hill again, testifying for hours and hours and hours to make the case for the resources that we need to make the case for America; and Rich was there right behind me. Now, it's almost impossible to think of going forward without him. We are thrilled that Dave Adams is going to be following in his footsteps and we know that Dave's team and everyone working together will not miss a step."

But, Clinton said, "It is true that we had some remarkable achievements in the past two years and Tom made reference to these, and of course, so did the President in his letter. We had the UK-Defence Treaty, the Australia-Defence Treaty, the Convention on the International Recovery of Child Support, we saw the Iran sanctions bill successfully passed. And when Rich met with President Obama last spring to talk about the Iran sanctions bill, the President had a request. He said he wanted authority to grant a waiver to countries that closely cooperated with the international efforts to prevent nuclear escalation. That was not an easy case to make, but once again, with Rich's leadership, we got it."

Clinton also pointed out that thanks to Verma, the confirmation rate of several State Department officials and ambassadors "has been really phenomenal."

"Now of course," she added, "the full measure of a person isn't just the work they do, in fact, far from it, it is the memories that are left behind, especially with people that they have worked with."

Verma, she said, had left loads of such memories. She cited examples, including how when his Executive Secretary Marjorie Jackson (a longtime State Department employee, who had also been former secretary of state Colin Powell's secretary) was stranded in a snow-storm in January, "Rich offered to drive more than 30 miles to take her home."

So, she said, "There are a lot of Rich Verma stories and when you talk about Rich around the building, you hear the same words -- gracious, humble, modest, principled, effective, professional. How much he cares for his country, his people… but most of all, what you hear is how much he loves his family and how proud he is of them, and how he is so devoted to everyone that he feels a sense of responsibility."

She recounted interesting and humorous vignettes of the trips she had taken with Verma, including to Munich "to exchange the instruments of ratification for the START treaty with Russia's foreign minister. This was really a sweet moment for Rich to be seeing the culmination of all his work paying off."

She joined Mills and others in making a presentation of gifts to Verma, which included a framed copy of the voting record of Congress on the START treaty.

Verma was also humorous and emotional as he thanked his staff, his colleagues and profusely expressed his gratitude to Clinton for the "amazing opportunity" she had afforded him. 

He told Clinton, "You've given us all your confidence and your courage to do things, and to take risks, and frankly, to make some mistakes along the way. Saying that you have our backs would be a gross understatement. I really can't tell you how much this means to all of us."

He spoke of the sacrifices his parents and his wife's parents -- who are Armenian -- and grandparents had made. He said, "Whether it was surviving the aftermath of World War I, serving in World War II, living through a dangerous Partition (of India), and taking a chance on a new country for a new future… they took all the risks, they have done so much for us… and I know we can never fully repay them for what they have done. But we can take great comfort that this secretary of state and President are every day working to validate those previous sacrifices, and are sowing the seeds for a better future for our children and generations to come.

Richard Verma ’90, a national security expert who has served in the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Air Force and as an adviser to members of Congress, is the new U.S. ambassador to India.

Verma was nominated by President Barack Obama in September to be the top American diplomat in India, the world’s second most-populous nation and largest democracy. He was sworn in by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry during a ceremony Dec. 19 at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Verma for the position in a voice vote on Dec. 9.

Verma, 46, will take his post in the Indian capital of New Delhi in January, ahead of a planned state visit by Obama, who will be the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations on Jan. 26.

According to The Economic Times of India and other news sources, Verma’s appointment and confirmation have received praise from lawmakers and policy analysts.

“As President Obama prepares to make his second trip to India next month, he is fortunate to have Rich at the helm of our embassy in New Delhi,” said Ronak D. Desai, an affiliate with the Belfer Center’s India and South Asia Program at Harvard University and an expert on U.S.-India relations.

“That Rich was confirmed by a voice vote by the U.S. Senate is a potent demonstration of the high esteem in which both he and the bilateral relationship are held by both parties in Washington,” Desai said.

“He will prove instrumental in navigating U.S. foreign relations with India to new, unexplored heights.”

U.S. Rep. Ami Bera, a Democrat representing California’s seventh congressional district, said Verma's experience made him an excellent choice for his new post.

“I know Rich is committed to growing the partnership between India and the U.S. at this critical moment in our relationship and I look forward to working with him,” said Bera.

As assistant secretary of state for legislative affairs under Hillary Clinton from 2009-11, Verma led the Obama administration’s negotiations with Congress for new sanctions on Iran while working for passage of the New START nuclear arms treaty with Russia. He received the Distinguished Service Medal, the State Department’s highest civilian honor.

In 2007, he was named by the organization India Abroad as one of the 50 most influential Indian-Americans.

Verma attended Lehigh on an Air Force ROTC scholarship and earned a B.S. in industrial engineering, while minoring in international relations.

At Lehigh, Verma was a member of Lambda Chi fraternity and senior class president. Since graduating, he has served on the university’s board of trustees and on the board of directors of the Lehigh University Alumni Association.

Verma is the first Indian-American to serve as ambassador to India and the first assigned to a major country.

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii --  

From Feb. 18 through 22, more than 95 U.S. military personnel and Department of Defense civilians were among the thousands assembled from around the globe to participate in Aero India 2015, the region's largest tradeshow. 

"The tradeshow allowed the U.S. to strengthen its ties with India while furthering military to military relationships," said Maj. Gen. Kevin Pottinger, Pacific Air Forces commander mobilization assistant and lead U.S. Pacific Command representative at Aero India 15.

This year's tradeshow featured the largest and most significant cross-section of U.S. military aircraft and equipment since its inception in 1996, totaling seven aircraft.  Support included the US Air Force's F-16 and C-17 Demonstration Teams and F-15D Eagle and KC-135 tanker static displays.  The U.S. Navy also supported the event with a P-8A Poseidon static, while the U.S. Army Special Forces led multiple combined personnel jumps during the event.

During Aero India, PACAF's F-16 Fighting Falcon Demonstration Team, stationed at Misawa Air Base, Japan, electrified over 200,000 spectators in nine separate aerial demonstrations, expertly showcasing the capabilities of one of the U.S. Air Force's leading fighters.  In addition, the C-17 Globemaster III, stationed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam, Hawaii, took to the skies and impressed all with its exceptional large-aircraft climb, turn and short-field landing capabilities. 

An Aero India favorite was the combined U.S. Army and Indian Special Forces free fall jumps from a PACAF C-17, which was the first time the two units jumped together.  The jumps demonstrated U.S.-Indian interoperability and provided a unique training opportunity for more than forty Special Forces personnel.   

"Aero India was a great opportunity to expand U.S. ties with our Indian counterparts," said U.S. Air Force Col. Keith Gibson, U.S. forces air boss for those participating in the event.  "We are honored to be here to demonstrate our partnership with India and remain committed to strengthening our military relationships."

The partnership between India and the United States was on full display at the tradeshow.  Many Indian military personnel had the opportunity to view U.S. military aircraft up close through demonstrations, orientation flights and static displays.

Military members were available to explain aircraft capabilities, highlight the diversity of U.S. military missions, and share their varying experiences with enthusiastic foreign military personnel and visitors to the air show.  Notable visitors included the U.S. Ambassador to India the Honorable Richard Verma and Vice Admiral Joseph Rixey, Director of Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

"This airshow came at a critical juncture to the US-India relationship.  President Obama's January visit to New Delhi and Secretary Kendall's robust engagement to energize the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) reflect India's growth as an important and capable strategic partner with like-minded objectives for regional growth and stability," said an official spokesperson.  " The U.S. was the largest foreign contingent at the show, with 64 companies represented, eight senior leaders and seven of the 11 foreign aircraft.  It was clear to those on hand that the Indo-US relationship is an important pillar in our Pacific rebalance strategy."

India reached a deal on Wednesday to develop a strategic port in southeast Iran despite U.S. pressure not to rush into any such trade agreements before world powers clinch a final nuclear accord with Tehran.

Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the Chabahar Port on the Gulf of Oman, near Iran's border with India's arch rival Pakistan.

"Indian firms will lease two existing berths at the port and operationalise them as container and multi-purpose cargo terminals," the Indian government said in a statement, adding that a commercial accord would be needed to implement the pact.

India and Iran agreed in 2003 to develop the port, but the venture has made little progress because of Western sanctions tied to Tehran's disputed atomic programme.

Now, spurred on by Chinese President Xi Jinping's signing of energy and infrastructure agreements with neighbouring Pakistan worth $46 billion, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants swiftly to sign trade deals with Iran and other Gulf countries.

Encouraged by a provisional, April 2 deal over Tehran's nuclear programme, India recently sent a delegation to Iran to scout for trade, energy and infrastructure deals.

However, the United States has expressed concern that India is moving too fast and could undermine a sanctions regime imposed on Iran to try to bring it to the negotiating table.

Washington has said there is no guarantee that a final deal will be secured with Tehran by a June 30 deadline.

"Sanctions won't solve the problem, but they certainly will continue to bring Iran to a final agreement," Richard Verma, the U.S. ambassador to India, said earlier on Wednesday.

For India, one advantage of a container and cargo terminal at Chabahar is that it would provide landlocked Afghanistan with access to the sea, reducing its reliance on Pakistan.

Iran has also proposed a free-trade agreement with India, a trade ministry source said. Rupee-denominated trade with Iran, started in 2012 because of complications arising from sanctions, has almost doubled Indian exports to Tehran in the past two years to $4 billion.

Now, Indian exporters want to build on that, using a free-trade zone being developed near Chabahar to export more to the Commonwealth of Independent States, made up of former Soviet Republics, said Mumbai-based Khalid Khan, regional head of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations.

India’s federal government has barred more than a dozen of the country’s universities, along with thousands of non-governmental organizations from receiving money from overseas, saying they violated national foreign-funding laws.

On Wednesday, the Home Ministry listed around 9,000 organizations that it said had failed to comply with the Foreign Currency Regulation Act, which requires nonprofits in India to declare annually any donations received from abroad.

“All NGOs with foreign funding must function in the country according to the law,” said Kuldeep Singh Dhatwalia, a spokesman for the home ministry. Mr. Dhatwalia said the government action followed a two-year investigation of institutions’ finances.

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office last year, India has stepped up moves against NGOs that it says haven’t followed the law. Earlier this year, the government froze bank accounts of Greenpeace India, saying it had “under-reported” fund inflows and said the Ford Foundation was suspected of providing funds to “agencies not registered” with the Home Ministry.

Greenpeace India said it had made a typing error that was later corrected. Divya Raghunandan, program director for the environmental group, said the move showed the government’s “real intent to shut down the organization.” In May, the Delhi High Court ordered two of Greenpeace India’s domestic accounts reopened, she said.

In response, Home Ministry spokesman Mr. Dhatwalia said, “they have their version.” He said,  “whether foreign or Indian NGO, everyone must follow the law.”

The Ford Foundation didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. It earlier said: “Our aim is to work closely with government partners to clarify any area of question or concern.”

Foreign governments have raised concerns about India’s move to tighten international funding of nonprofits. U.S. ambassador to India Richard Verma in a speech in May in New Delhi said India’s “regulatory steps” could have “potentially chilling effects” on democracy.

“Because a vibrant civil society is so important to both of our democratic traditions, I do worry,” he said, according to a transcript of his speech on the website of the U.S. embassy in New Delhi.

Among those on the Home Ministry’s ban list on Wednesday were the University of Delhi and other educational institutions, some branches of the Young Men’s Christian Association and a range of philanthropic organizations.

Some on the list said they hadn’t been contacted by the Home Ministry. P.V. Vilson, finance manager for the New Delhi YMCA, which is on the list, said its license to receive foreign funds was “still alive.” Asked about the ban, he said: “No such notification has been received.”

A spokesman for the University of Delhi said: “We have not received any notification.” Nor, he said, had the university “been subject to any sanctions.”

The Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute, which promotes academic activities and exchanges between India and Canada, was also on the list. Anju Taneja, in charge of the institute’s finances, said it hadn’t been notified by the ministry.

“I am surprised. We are surprised where this is coming from,” said Ms. Taneja. She said the institute does not receive funds from abroad. It works with India’s Ministry of Human Resources and Development. “We’ve been submitting our balance sheets to them,” she said.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton once joked with an aide about whether he had promised his “first born” to get an ambassadorial nomination through the Senate.

One late Wednesday night in December 2009, Clinton’s then-assistant secretary for legislative affairs, Richard Verma, e-mailed her that Sen. George LeMieux had lifted his hold on Tom Shannon to be ambassador to Brazil.

2021 Election: Complete coverage and analysis

(Refresher: LeMieux (R) was appointed to Florida’s Senate seat after Mel Martinez (R) resigned. LeMieux had the job for just two years.)

“Hold on Tom was lifted. Thanks for making the calls. Trying to get him thru as quickly as possible before another hold emerges,” Verma wrote to “H.” Sounds like Clinton was personally calling senators to lobby for Shannon’s confirmation.

“What took them so long?” Clinton responded. “Did you promise your first born?”

“Yes, I sold my soul to George Lemieux today. I am not proud of it,” Verma wrote.

These e-mails, released as part of a larger State Department e-mail dump Tuesday night, provide a rare glimpse at Clinton’s hands-on approach and her engagement in the minutiae of Capitol Hill process. It also shows the normally guarded Clinton’s lighter touch.

[A glimpse at Hillary Clinton’s e-mails, from celebrities to politicians.]

LeMieux had put a hold on the nomination of the career Foreign Service officer, who served as George W. Bush’s assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, because he felt Shannon hadn’t been tough enough on the Castro regime in Cuba, according to a November 2009 Miami Herald article.

The story suggested that LeMieux might have been trying to help then-Gov. Charlie Crist with South Florida Cuban Americans as he faced a “Cuban-American opponent in the Republican primary for the Senate seat.” (That opponent, unnamed in the piece, was none other than eventual winner and now-presidential contender Marco Rubio.)

Clinton chided Verma, asking whether he now had to “go to Cuba and arrest Castro or just shovel more $ into Little Havana?”

“I suspect they would prefer more $ for Little Havana,” he responded.

Shannon was confirmed less than a week after this exchange.

And that, folks, is how the ambassador-confirmation sausage is made.

(As prepared for delivery by RIchard Verma) - 

Welcome to the American Center, the hub of the Embassy’s public engagement efforts in New Delhi.  The American Center is the home of the American Center Library – one of the busiest American libraries in the world, with around 300 visitors every day.  The American Center also plays host to numerous events that help to foster understanding and promote linkages between American and Indian communities, including film festivals, speaker series, and art exhibits.

Tonight we are honored to have in our audience many distinguished public health leaders from across India representing the government sector, the private healthcare sector, the World Health Organization, and many non-government organizations, who are all striving to keep India safe and healthy.

 I am in awe of your daily efforts in public health.  Whether it be working to reduce the burden of HIV/AIDS, sustaining polio eradication in India through vaccine campaigns and surveillance, developing new testing kits to diagnose an emerging infectious disease such as MERS, fighting malnutrition in the far-off villages of India, investigating outbreaks related to animal or human disease, or testing vaccines that could ward off the next pandemic–your efforts may go unnoticed on a daily basis yet they would turn to crises if you were not diligent in your daily work.

I personally thank you for taking time away from your busy schedules to support the talk the US Embassy is sponsoring this evening in honor of [Dr. Thomas Randall Frieden (born 1960)]'s visit to India. Tonight Dr. Frieden is going to present on a very timely and relevant topic that is going to help define the evolving public health collaborations between the US and India.

Although Ebola has left the headlines of the major newspapers around the world, Ebola is still a public health concern as cases in West Africa continue to emerge. According to the World Health Organization, there have been over 11,000 deaths from the Ebola outbreak that began in West Africa in 2014. CDC, and Dr Frieden in particular, has been a significant and effective leader in the Ebola response. CDC personnel are currently deployed to West Africa to assist with response efforts, including surveillance, contact tracing, data management, laboratory testing, and health education. Thousands of CDC staff, including six CDC staff from US Embassy-New Delhi, haveprovided logistics, staffing, communication, analytics, management, and other support functions for the response –alongside the World Health Organization and other international partners in West Africa.  Although today Ebola is still a concern in West Africa, we realize we are never far from the next pandemic.  Due to this reality, the Global Health Security Agenda, which was developed before the Ebola outbreak, is now more timely and important than ever before.

The Global Health Security Agenda is the perfect tool for facilitating preparedness, as it is a collaborative effort by nations, international organizations, and civil society to accelerate progress toward a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats; to promote global health security as an international priority; and to spur progress toward full implementation of the World Health Organization International Health Regulations 2005, the World Organization for Animal Health Performance of Veterinary Services pathway, and other relevant global health security frameworks.

The importance of global health security is clear to me, despite not having a public health background.  New microbes are emerging and spreading, drug resistance is rising, and laboratories around the world could intentionally or unintentionally release dangerous microbes.  Globalization of travel and trade increase the chance and speed of these risks spreading. We must work together to strengthen surveillance to detect emerging diseases, respond to outbreaks, and prevent future pandemics.  Through our work together, both nations will benefit as we learn from one another.

I am personally very pleased with the efforts of the CDC here in India as they have worked with many of you to develop proposals targeting the various areas of the Global Health Security Agenda.

 Dr. Kayla Laserson, the CDC-India Director, has shared information with me regarding the collaborations with both NCDC and AIIMS to fight anti-microbial resistance as it is a global public health threat we all have to work hard to address. And multiple USG Agencies including USAID, HHS, NIH, and CDC are collaborating with India on other facets of global health security such as preventing the spread of multi-drug resistant TB. These are among the many opportunities we have to work together, learn from each other and use the “lessons learned” to benefit both of our countries and the region.

There is a lot of work for all of us to do to make the world a safer, healthier place and I feel that with our nations working together we can support one another and reach the goal of controlling and preventing disease.

Now, I would like to introduce our honored guest and speaker this evening, Dr. Tom Frieden.  Dr. Frieden really needs no introduction as many of you have known him many years.  However, I would like to point out a few accomplishments. Dr. Tom Frieden is the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has the responsibility for our nation’s health protection agency.  Since 2009, Dr. Frieden has intensified CDC’s 24/7 work to protect people from health threats – preventing foodborne and healthcare-associated infections, helping Americans quit smoking, combating anti-microbial resistance, and extending life-saving treatment and disease prevention in more than 50 countries.

As New York City Health Commissioner  from 2002-2009, Dr. Frieden helped reduce smoking, eliminate artificial trans fats from restaurants, eliminate colon cancer screening disparities, and initiate the country’s largest community-based electronic health records project.  Many of you know Dr. Frieden from his five years in India, when he helped to re-build the tuberculosis control program that has saved three million lives. Dr. Frieden started his CDC career as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, the very same program CDC and the National Centre for Disease Control together have started here in India, and has written more than 200 scientific publications.

Without further ado, I would invite Dr. Frieden to the podium.

The United States this evening welcomed India's decision to join the Paris Climate Change agreement.

In a statement issued on Sunday, U.S. Ambassador Richard Verma welcomed India's decision as "a bold and decisive step in combating climate change".

"India's ratification provides indispensable political momentum to securing entry into force of the Paris Agreement this year, sending an enduring and irreversible market signal that low-carbon development is 21st century development, which will yield tremendous benefits not only for producers and consumers in India, but for those around the world," said the statement.

"We commend Prime Minister Modi for his leadership and thank all those who have worked on the Agreement over many years. We look forward to continuing our close friendship with India and furthering our work together on climate change and clean energy, so that we may provide future generations a world to be proud of and treasure," it added

Earlier, US President Barack Obama also hailed India's submission of its instrument of ratification to the United Nations in New York for the Paris Climate Change Agreement on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

"Gandhiji believed in a world worthy of our children. In joining the Paris Agreement, @narendramodi & the Indian people carry on that legacy," tweeted Obama.

France also welcomed this move in a statement saying, "The President of the Republic welcomes the ratification of the Paris Agreement by India, on this symbolic day commemorating Mahatma Gandhi's birthday."

So far 61 nations have ratified the landmark agreement on climate change accounting for a total of 47.79 per cent of the global greenhouse gas emissions.

India's ratification would take that figure to 51.89 per cent.

The objective of the Paris Agreement is to reduce the emissions from 50 to 40 gigatons, or to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial levels. Some developing countries have pledged to reduce carbon footprints in the form of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).

Adopted in Paris by the 195 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at a conference known as COP21, the agreement calls on countries to combat climate change and to intensify actions and investments needed for a sustainable low-carbon future, as well as to adapt to the increasing impacts of climate change.

The pact - which was signed in New York on April 22 by 175 countries at the largest, single-day signing ceremony in history - will enter into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification.

• Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

Indian-American Richard Verma, previously the US Ambassador to India and currently Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources, has been appointed as the US Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery.

WASHINGTON: Indian-American Richard Verma, who serves as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources, has been entrusted with an additional task of helping in rebuilding the war-ravaged Ukraine. US Secretary of State Tony Blinken has named him as the US Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, in addition to his current position, which is the number two position in the State Department.

PolVerma, the former US Ambassador to India, is the highest ranking Indian-American ever in the State Department.

"Deputy Secretary for Resources and Management Rich Verma is going to be carrying on the work that Special Envoy Penny Pritzker has started when it comes to reconstruction and economic issues as it relates to our Ukrainian partners," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference here on Wednesday.

Pritzker, who served as the Commerce Secretary during the Obama Administration, left the position of US Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery on August 6.

"Verma is going to continue to build on the foundation that Special Envoy Pritzker laid when it comes to private sector engagement, when it comes to working with our allies and partners to marshal the economic support that we know is so critical to the future of our Ukrainian partners," Patel said in response to a question.

"Verma is an experienced diplomat with extensive experience not just in government but also in the private sector, and so I think he has a unique position and a unique perch and unique perspective to bring in continuing to build on Special Envoy Pritzker's work," he said.

Ronak D Desai, partner and leading India practitioner at Paul Hastings LLP, termed Verma's appointment as the US Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery a "masterstroke, reflecting the Biden administration's commitment to restoring stability in one of the world's most critical geopolitical regions".

"Verma's unparalleled diplomatic acumen and economic experience make him uniquely suited to lead this charge," Desai said.

This dual role for Verma is not just an expansion of responsibilities; it's a testament to his extraordinary career, he said.

"Verma's additional role is historic, not just because of the portfolio itself, but because it further solidifies his legacy as one of the most dedicated public servants of his generation. His leadership will be pivotal in rebuilding Ukraine and advancing key American interests," Desai said, adding that this additional role further cements Verma's status as a key figure in shaping the future of US foreign policy.

Ukraine's path to recovery is fraught with challenges, but with Verma at the helm, the US is demonstrating its unwavering commitment to supporting Ukraine in this pivotal moment, he said.

"Verma's appointment as the Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery is a strategic move that underscores his standing as a seasoned and trusted leader. His ability to combine economic strategy with diplomatic finesse will be instrumental in this crucial phase of Ukraine's recovery," Desai said.

WASHINGTON: Indiaspora, an organisation of prominent Indian Americans, hosted an event for community leaders in Washington DC earlier this week. Indian ambassador to the US, Taranjit Sandhu; Atul Keshap, who recently

served as US charge d'affaires in Delhi; Indian American Congressmen Ami Bera and Raja Krishnamoorthi; Neera Tanden, senior advisor to President Joe Biden; Dr Meena Seshamani, director of center for medicare; former US ambassador to India, Rich Verma and Nisha Biswal, president of US-India Business Council, were some of the prominent guests at the event.

This was the first time since the pandemic that important community leaders; Indiaspora members and many of the recently appointed Indian American officials in the Biden administration, got together. "The time has come for us to get serious about where the next frontier is in US-India ties," Nisha Desai Biswal, president of US India Business Council said at the dinner. Neither for the United States nor for India, two of the largest economies in the world, is it tenable to be outside of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and to not have a trade architecture in place between themselves, she added.

"We are starting to see real signals of interest from India to be able to explore that. So, I think the time has come to get serious. It's not easy. It's a path riddled with all kinds of obstacles," she said. "I've heard it described to me that trade negotiations are a knife fight in a dark alley. It's time for us to put down the knives, turn on the light, get down to business," she said in a lighter vein and urged the powerful group of Indian Americans to engage the two governments on the issue.

In her brief remarks on the occasion, Neera Tanden, senior advisor to President Biden, said it is critical to have Indian-Americans at the table, contributing, involved and engaged in helping make decisions. "As many have said before, if you are not at the table, you are on the menu. That is why your voices are so important, your role here in everything you do is so important."

Former US ambassador to India, Richard Verma, said the recent successful visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was a new chapter in this important bilateral relationship. "We've got to all now work on it. The president gave us the roadmap to follow on trade and health and climate and security and so much more. I'm actually pretty excited about the bilateral ties and even broader Quadrilateral ties as well," he said. Indian-American congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ami Bera also spoke on the occasion. Krishnamoorthi thanked the diaspora for their outpouring of support for pandemic relief. (With inputs from PTI)

US senator Harry Reid, the once powerful Democrat who passed away on Tuesday, played a key role in the signing and legislating of the landmark Indian civil nuclear deal.

Many people played varying degrees of crucial roles in the signing and legislating of the landmark civil nuclear deal that changed the trajectory of the India-US relationship.

US senator Harry Reid, the once powerful Democrat who passed away on Tuesday, played an incomparable part in it.

“There would have been no civil nuclear deal without senator Reid’s early support and his shepherding of the deal through the Senate,” said Richard Verma, the former American ambassador to India who worked as a congressional foreign affairs aide to senator Reid at the time.

Reid first played a critical role in December 2006 when he rescued from near death a legislation allowing then President George W Bush to negotiate a nuclear deal with India, which, in turn, would facilitate the resumption of nuclear trade with India after more than three decades.

As the incoming majority leader of the chamber - Democrats had won control of the chamber in the November mid-term elections - Reid had prioritised the passage of the legislation. If not passed before the new Congress took over in January, the bill would have had to restart the long and tortuous passage rites.

“That would have killed the bill,” said Ramesh Kapur, a leading Democratic strategist recalling Reid’s role in the passage of the bill. He had a ring-side view of the passage of the bill, which was aided and facilitated by the combined clout of Indian-Americans like him.

Harry Reid had promised to put the bill on “automatic pilot” so that it may be taken up as “the first order of business” after the break, when it met during the lame-duck session, which is typically a session that take place between an election and formal start of the next congress.

Verma said, recalling those heady days, “He even convened a rare classified session of the Senate so senators could debate the arrangements under consideration. He told me several times how important the deal was and how it would transform US-India ties. He was absolutely right.”

The deal did, in fact, change India-US ties. First announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Bush in July 2005, the deal went into effect in 2008 and those it has not led to any real trade in nuclear supplies between the two countries yet, it put ties on an upward trajectory, and rising.

Two years later, in December 2008, the deal got the final approval from US Congress with Reid at the head of the Senate.

Harry Reid died on Tuesday at age 82. He had struggled for years with pancreatic cancer. Once a boxer, he was known for his pugnacious politics during his five terms in the Senate ending in 2016, when he retired. He was a quintessential Washington DC powerhouse and power-player who may even have set Barack Obama for the presidency asking a “stunned” first-time senator from Illinois in 2006 to seriously consider a run.

After the senate vote on November 17, 2006, Reid spoke of his fondness for India and Indian-Americans to a group of Indian-Americans who had been lobbying him, his office and other senators, especially those who had seemed wobbly about their vote.

Kapur was among them and remembers - “being a Punjabi” - giving Reid a celebratory hug.

Reid spoke to the group about a group of Indian students he had befriended years ago as he gave them a ride on their way to their college. Some of them, Kapur remembers Reid noting, wore “slippers”.

As a parting gift - along with “five” Indian meals - the Indian students gave Reid a snow globe with an image of Mahatma Gandhi inside it. The senator kept it on his desk for years after and Kapur remembers noticing it.

“100% true,” said Verma. It was “there on his bookcase in the leader’s office till his very last day in the Senate”.

Ms. Ahamed is the author of “A Matter of Trust: A History of India-U.S. Relations From Truman to Trump.”

It is hard to imagine the United States going for two years without an ambassador representing its interests in Beijing, Berlin, Moscow or Tokyo. Yet Roosevelt House, the American ambassador’s residence in New Delhi, has remained unoccupied since January 2021 — the longest gap on record.

There is no shortage of talk in Washington asserting India’s importance to the United States. President Biden sees it as “one of the most important relationships” for the United States. Yet if India is an “indispensable” partner for America, as the president has declared, why has he allowed the position of ambassador to India remain vacant for almost two years?

American ambassadors to India have often played a vital role in advancing relations between the two countries. In 1962, when India was invaded by China, John Kenneth Galbraith was the American ambassador. Galbraith, who was close to President John F. Kennedy and had good relations with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, was instrumental in getting the United States to ship arms and supplies to India.

Until then, Nehru had been lukewarm to American overtures. By swiftly coming to India’s aid, Galbraith changed how Indians saw America and brought Kennedy and Nehru closer. American support for India in 1962 would prove to be a turning point in the relations between the two countries. Galbraith remains a beloved figure in India.

India’s problems with China are far from over. Both nuclear powers, they share a 2,100-mile border, and lay claim to territories controlled by the other. China has been increasing its clout in Nepal and Bhutan, which have long been Indian spheres of influence. For decades, Beijing and New Delhi maintained a cold peace, but the growing muscular nationalism in Xi Jinping’s China and Narendra Modi’s India eventually led to confrontations on the disputed border in 2020 in which scores of Indian and Chinese soldiers were killed.

Sign up for the Opinion Today newsletter  Get expert analysis of the news and a guide to the big ideas shaping the world every weekday morning. Get it sent to your inbox.

More recently, tensions rose on Dec. 9 after Indian and Chinese forces clashed on the mountainous border near the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China calls South Tibet. Relations between China and India have been further soured afterjoint military exercises last month by the United States and India near the India-China border. The Biden administration has also stepped up efforts to deepen its cooperation with the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the informal security alliance of India, Australia, Japan and the United States that seeks to counter China’s rise, a grouping that Beijing views as hostile.

The shared challenge of China has pushed America and India closer. For the past two decades, Republican and Democratic administrations have made India an essential partner in the American strategy to contain China. The Biden administration’s National Defense Strategy report calls for enhancing India’s ability to deter China’s aggression “and ensure free and open access to the Indian Ocean region.” American encouragement of India’s rise has rare bipartisan support, which makes the absence of a U.S. ambassador in India even more surprising.

There are significant economic reasons for greater American engagement with India, which recently surpassed Britain as the world’s fifth largest economy. While India remains poor in per capita terms (it has roughly $2,200 in G.D.P. per person), it is one of the fastest growing major economies and a vital market for trade and investment.

India is a major supplier of pharmaceuticals, including vaccines to the world. In 2021, the U.S. direct investment in India was around $45 billion. As concern mounts over China’s outsize role in global supply chains, American companies have begun to seek manufacturing hubs outside that country. J. P. Morgan estimatesthat by 2025, Apple may make roughly 25 percent of its iPhones in India. The U.S. Embassy will need to provide support to American companies trying to enter India.

And India plays an important role in difficult global negotiations on global health, climate change or technology policy. Richard Verma, the U.S. ambassador to New Delhi during the Obama administration, said that India was essential in getting an agreement on the Paris climate accords. Mr. Verma helped facilitate some of the initial meetings that led to engagement between Indian and American leaders.

Major policy decisions such as the climate accords were agreed on by President Barack Obama and Mr. Modi. But in bilateral negotiations, an ambassador plays a key role in hammering out details of trade and defense agreements relying on his or her personal relationships.

India assumed the leadership of the Group of 20 in December and has lost no time in projecting itself as a peacemaker following a rules-based international order. India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, arguably one of the most talented international diplomats operating today, projects an image of India on the world stage as a responsible nuclear power, resolute against terrorism, and a global force for good.

What you will not get from Mr. Jaishankar is an honest appraisal of the decline of civil rights in India. Ambassadors have been essential in providing Washington with cleareyed assessments about the domestic situation in India — a task that is more essential now than ever. Since his election in 2014, Mr. Modi has presided over the consolidation of a Hindu-majoritarian politics, systematically concentrated power in the hands of the executive and clamped down on political dissent. The Modi government’s onslaught against minorities, freedom of the press and the independence of the judiciary has been relentless.

The United States will need to continuously assess the degree to which it and India still share liberal, democratic values. Ambassadors such as Galbraith, Chester Bowles, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Frank Wisner, mixing with civil society, the press, bureaucrats and politicians of all stripes, were able to provide an informative and nuanced assessment about the country’s trajectory.

In April 1977, President Jimmy Carter appointed Robert Goheen, a former president of Princeton, as his ambassador to India. Mr. Goheen had been born in India and was in a position to observe if India’s experiment with democracy had survived the “Emergency,” the difficult period between June 1975 and March 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi suspended constitutional rights, assumed extraordinary powers, jailed opposition leaders and silenced the press.

The work of diplomats can be hard to pin down as they juggle multiple roles. One of the critical responsibilities of an ambassador is to provide accurate assessments about the political landscape of the host country and to be his government’s eyes and ears on the ground. The absence of an American ambassador today may actually suit policymakers in New Delhi. It allows them to avoid careful scrutiny of its domestic affairs.

For decades, American officials lamented that India’s meager diplomatic presence imposed a ceiling on what India and America could accomplish together. New Delhi has worked to raise its international profile, especially in Washington. It is a shame that America has failed to reciprocate.

A U.S. ambassador is the symbolic projection of American power. During the decades when India was strategically unimportant to the United States, Washington still sent important ambassadors to India. Today there is a glaring absence at the Roosevelt House in New Delhi.

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Former U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis spoke bluntly in 2013 about the importance of his diplomatic counterparts at the Department of State whose work is to prevent conflicts around the world.

“If you don’t fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition,” Mattis, then the commander of U.S. Central Command, famously said at a congressional hearing.

For the past two years, Johnstown-area native Richard Verma has served as one of the State Department’s top diplomats and its chief operating officer, representing the U.S. around the world – listening, trying to reduce tensions and bring stability, he said, while keeping the safety of the hometown that shaped him at the top of his mind.

“When I was back in Johnstown last summer, I tried to explain to folks that I believe that foreign policy is really about serving local interests,” he said. “It’s about making sure your lives are actually better and safer and stronger; that your kids are able to study abroad and that there are investment opportunities; and that you know if you run into a crisis somewhere around the world, we are there to be there for you.”

Verma has served as deputy secretary of state for management and resources in a challenging time, taking the job a month after Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine to start the biggest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

Previously, Verma was the U.S. ambassador to India under President Barack Obama.

In a Zoom interview with The Tribune-Democrat from Washington, D.C., Verma reflected on his time in the State Department as he prepares to transfer his duties to a new team that will be ushered in with President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration Monday.

Verma has been to 60 countries and 76 embassies and consulates, and has conducted 14 domestic trips since he was nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in 2023 to fill a vacancy in one of the department’s main leadership roles.

His first trip as deputy secretary was to Ukraine, and five months ago, with the end of Penny Pritzger’s one-year term as special representative to that country, he picked up the department’s responsibilities for fostering Ukraine’s economic recovery – which is underway even as the war with Russia continues.

[Image :  Richard Verma, Volodymyr Zelenskyy]

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard Verma (second from right) greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy before a tour of the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in September 2024 in Scranton.

“I’ve been overseeing the economic recovery piece of it,” he said. “I think we have bipartisan support for that, and I think we have a lot of support in the private sector.

“I can’t speak for what the new administration might do ... but hopefully they understand the huge stakes and the risk to the democratic order and to global security if Russia’s actions are allowed to continue, so this has incredibly high stakes to it.”

The number of problems in the world and the complexity of those problems are changing, he said, and the Department of State has had to adapt.

“And so even more demands are being put on the institution,” he said. “We’ve had to be really creative about how we are responding to threats – from pandemics to climate change, from food insecurity and energy insecurity in addition to all those other problems we’ve walked through, whether it was Russia-Ukraine, the war in the Middle East or competition with China.”

As deputy secretary of state for management and resources, one of two deputy secretary positions in the department, Verma has served as the department’s chief operating officer and principal adviser to Secretary of State Antony Blinken on resource allocation and management of the department.

He also assisted in carrying out Blinken’s authority and responsibility for the overall direction of operational programs of the department, including foreign assistance programs.

‘Privilege and an honor’

One of Verma’s duties in his office has been to oversee the Department of State’s $60 billion budget – which reflects 1% of the entire federal budget.

“I think it’s an institution that has been under-budgeted, overworked and understaffed for a long time,” Verma said, mentioning Mattis’ past remarks.

Working for the betterment of the 80,000-member department, with staff spread across the nation and around the world, has been especially rewarding, he said.

“It’s been incredibly heartening to see this workforce,” Verma said.

About 20% of the department’s workforce is composed of military veterans. More veterans work in the State Department than any other federal agency outside the Department of Defense, he said.

Verma is an Air Force veteran and the recipient of numerous military awards and civilian decorations including the Meritorious Service Medal, the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award and the Council on Foreign Relations International Affairs Fellowship.

“It’s just such a privilege and an honor to be able to do this work,” he said. “We are in a super-challenging global environment, but having said that, America is still counted on to be the leader in so many areas, on human rights, on security, on democracy, on basic democratic values in this era, and so our voice really matters.”

The department employs people from all 50 states, and Verma proudly hails from Johnstown, where he grew up attending the Westmont Hilltop public schools.

“When I think about how I ended up here, I do really believe that growing up in Johnstown with my friends, with my neighbors, with my coaches, with my teachers, was a very formative experience, and it was a great experience,” he said. “I really do owe so much to the people of Johnstown and western Pennsylvania, and I never forget that.”

‘A reminder for me’

Verma’s parents settled in Johnstown in 1971 after immigrating to the U.S. from India.

His father, Kamal Verma, was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and his mother, Savitri Verma, was a special needs teacher, counselor and social worker.

“I think I lived through a period in Johnstown when it was still doing quite well in the early ’70s,” he said, “and then we had this combination of the flood in 1977, and then came this transition to globalization, where we lost a lot of jobs, and I saw a lot of people in the United States kind of forget about all the sacrifices and hard work that had been put into the country by the people of the region.

“It’s a reminder for me when I do my work – making sure that I don’t forget about the backbone of the country, whether that’s in western Pennsylvania or another part of America. Our work has got to advance people’s interests, and give people confidence in us to try to go out and do some good in the world.”

Growing up in Johnstown was “an incredible lesson in hard work and standing up for each other – really looking out for one another,” he said.

Verma, 56, has lived in the Washington, D.C., area for more than 20 years, but he’s never lost sight of where he’s from, said Jeff Stumpo, one of Verma’s close friends in Johnstown since they attended kindergarten together.

“We always keep in contact with each other,” Stumpo said. “I’ve received phone calls from him from Turkey, from India – you never know where he’s going to be or where he’s going to call you back from.”

Verma established an endowment fund administered by the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies in 2023 to support Westmont Hilltop students who may need extra financial support to cover fees or other costs associated with after-school sports or activities.

“Although he’s not living here, he’s still giving back,” Stumpo said. “That shows the kind of human he is.”

‘Helped us navigate’

[Francis Nicholas "Nick" Jacobs (born 1947)], of Windber, said [Richard Rahul Verma (born 1968)] made a lasting impact on saving Windber Hospital – now Chan Soon-Shiong Medical Center at Windber [See Windber Medical / Chan Soon-Shiong partnership ] – early in his law career.

Verma graduated from Westmont Hilltop High School in 1986 and went on to study law. He earned multiple academic degrees, including a law degree from American University and a master’s degree in international law from Georgetown University Law Center.

[Francis Nicholas "Nick" Jacobs (born 1947)] said he and [Richard Rahul Verma (born 1968)] reconnected decades ago, when Verma was working as a young attorney at a top firm, Steptoe & Johnson, in Washington, D.C., and when Jacobs transitioned from education to become president of the board at Windber.

“The hospital had just begun receiving grants through Congressman John Murtha to establish the Windber Research Institute, and we needed legal advice as to how to structure the organization and manage those funds,” Jacobs said. “There’s no book on how to deal with federal grants. Rich helped us.

“During my 11 years with the hospital, it brought $250 million in research money. There were so many speed bumps and Rich helped us navigate them. If it hadn’t been for Rich, it could have gone the wrong way.”

When federal support for the hospital got snarled in politics as Murtha aired his opposition to the Iraq war in the 2000s, Verma was again influential

[Richard Rahul Verma (born 1968)] had been elevated to senior national security adviser for the Senate’s then-majority leader, Harry Reid. Biden was also in the Senate at the time and Blinken was a Senate staffer with [Richard Rahul Verma (born 1968)], foreshadowing their teamwork later in the Department of State.

With the Windber hospital’s federal support in jeopardy, Verma advised its board on how to work with the senator to get support for a scientific partnership with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in Reid’s home state.

“All of Murtha’s grants to us were put on hold, but the Harry Reid grant came through, so, Rich, unbeknownst to him, saved the research institute from laying people off,” Jacobs said. “(The Windber hospital) is still a nonprofit and a Department of Defense research institute. It’s a central part of cancer research in the United States. I give a lot of credit for that to Rich.”

Jacobs said he and his wife, who had also taught in Westmont Hilltop School District while Verma was a student, were “always extremely proud to know Rich and to consider him a product of this area.”

When [Richard Rahul Verma (born 1968)] became the United States’ 25th ambassador to India in 2014, several of his friends from Johnstown, including Stumpo and [Francis Nicholas "Nick" Jacobs (born 1947)], attended his swearing-in ceremony.

As the ambassador to India, Verma led one of the largest U.S. diplomatic missions and championed historic progress in bilateral cooperation on defense, trade and clean energy.

“He’s an amazing man with incredible skills, and he would make a wonderful president of the United States sometime,” Jacobs said. “And when that happens, we would love to be at his swearing-in ceremony, too.”

‘The next chapter’

Verma leaves his job as the deputy secretary of state for management and resources with a long list of accomplishments.

He’s led initiatives including renewing U.S. leadership at major multilateral climate engagements such as the G20 Task Force on Climate and Finance; relocating 191,000 Afghan allies since August 2021; building private-sector engagement for Ukraine’s economic recovery; improving security cooperation in Mexico through programming that enhanced investigations and prosecutions of drug traffickers and criminal networks; and securing a budget for the department to continue its work in fiscal year 2025.

“Hopefully, we left the place stronger, better than how we found it, and that we made a difference for people around the world and made a difference for people across our country,” Verma said. “And I’ll let others decide how we did, but that’s what we were working on, and that’s what I hopefully have had an impact on – changing some difficult situations for the better and that it’s had a positive impact on people’s lives and livelihoods.”

Verma said that with his role in leading U.S. foreign policy coming to an end, he looks forward to spending more time with his wife and three teenage children at their home in Maryland.

“I don’t know what I’ll do next, and I’m going to take some time to sort it out,” he said. “I’ll try to continue to stay engaged. I’m a big believer in service and impact, and maybe I’ll try to figure out a way to give back through teaching a little bit and some pro bono legal work, but I’m going to take a little bit of time to figure out the next chapter.”

Verma has been working to help with the transition to the department’s incoming administration.

“This institution has been around since the founding of the republic, and you never get to a point where you have solved everything,” he said. “But you try to get to a point where you are just building more resilience, more stability, more security, more prosperity, and you realize this is a life’s work. And you hand the ball off to a new team coming in and they are going to handle it for a while, and so this is something that will just continue. You try to neutralize the threats, and you try to do the right thing.”

Reflecting on all of his travels around the world, Verma said one of his most memorable experiences while serving as deputy secretary of state was something he observed close to home, during the 2024 Little League World Series in Williamsport.

The State Department helps bring dozens of teams from across the world with their families and trainers and coaches. The final game between the Chinese Taipei team and the U.S. team from Florida went into extra innings and ended in dramatic fashion, with Florida emerging victorious.

“At the end of the game, the Chinese Taipei team was really upset,” Verma said. “The kids were crying, and it was understandable. And the team from Florida, instead of running out onto the field to celebrate, ran out on the field and began consoling the other team, putting their arms around the other players.

“I just saw that and thought, for all the challenges we have in the world, there is a lot of good and a lot of hope and a lot of promise, and you see it in places like this, on the ball field in Williamsport, with these kids who are from two different corners of the world coming together.”