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WASHINGTON: Vice President Mike Pence has said he is planning to visit India soon and asserted that the Indo-US partnership has never looked brighter with the best days for the two nations yet to come.

Describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with US President Donald Trump as "historic and productive", Pence said, "Today I say with confidence that our friendship would grow and deepen."

Addressing the top business executives of the United States, Pence appeared to be very enthusiastic about the future of the ties between the US and India, which he said can work together for the development, peace and prosperity of the two countries and the world.

Pence was addressing the 42nd annual gala of the US- India Business Council (USIBC), the top industry advocacy body of American businesses having a footprint in India.

Recollecting Trump's remarks at the Rose Garden in White House yesterday, Pence said, "India has a true friend at the White House" and so do all the businesses that have gathered at the event.

"This is an exciting time between the US and India. As President Trump said, the future of our partnership has never looked brighter," Pence said yesterday.

Pence also had a one-on-one meeting with Modi at the White House on Monday.

Pence, who had earlier been the governor of Indiana, told the business executives that Modi told him that "India-Ana means coming to India", with the comment drawing a laud applause from the audience.

Pence said he has accepted the prime minister's invitation to visit India.

"I was very humbled when the Prime Minister Modi extended a personal invitation to me to represent the United States. And we're already making plans to take it up on his invitation," Pence said.

When he was the governor of Indiana, Pence said, he had plans to take a business delegation to India, which he could not do because of the last year's general elections.

But now, he said he was hoping to visit India soon.

"The bottom line is that the United States and India can deepen our commercial bond in many industries and areas," he said.

Pence said the US' relationship with India is one of the most important strategic relationships in the 21st century.

"Our two great nations are bound by friendship, by commerce, as partners in the fight against terrorism, and as brother-and-sister in the cause of freedom and our commitment to democracy -- and today, I say with confidence - under the leadership of President Donald Trump, our friendship will grow deeper and our partnership will grow stronger -- for the benefit of both our nations, and all our people," Pence said.

With Trump taking so many steps to improve the business climate in the US, Pence said the truth is that these actions will give Indian companies record opportunities to invest in America.

"I am confident -- that with your help, and with the commitment that President Trump and Prime Minister Modi renewed yesterday -- we will usher in a new era of jobs, opportunity, and prosperity -- for both our countries, and for all our people," Pence said.

He also praised several Indian companies for creating tens and thousands of jobs in America. Pence mentioned several Indian companies including Wipro, Infosys and Spicejet.

"Thanks to the companies represented in this room, the trade relationship between the United States and India is flourishing. It's remarkable to think that not even 20 years ago, two-way trade between our nations was less than USD 20 billion per year. But by the end of last year, it had grown by more than 500 per cent to an annual USD 115 billion," he said.

"On the other side of the ledger, Indian businesses I'm glad to report are investing in America at an unprecedented rate. For instance: Earlier this year, Infosys announced it would hire 10,000 new American workers at four US-based technology centers, one of which will be in my home state of Indiana. And we thank you for investing and believing in America," Pence said.

"Our heartfelt appreciation to all the businesses represented here for your investment in our nation's future. Yet the truth is the United States and India we believe have only scratched the surface when it comes to bilateral investment and trade," he said.

"Yesterday, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi committed to expanding and balancing our trade relationship in the years ahead," the vice president said.

India is projected to become the world's third-largest market for planes and passengers, he noted.

"American companies are already providing airport infrastructure and the airplanes themselves. I just had the chance to meet with the CEO of SpiceJet who just last week placed an order for 40 brand new Boeing jets, on top of 100 new jets it ordered earlier this year," he said.

"I know that American companies are going to continue to give India's aviation industry the wings it needs to soar. And let me just take the opportunity, as the President did yesterday, to say thank you to SpiceJet for investing and believing in American workers and American businesses," Pence said.

Energy, he said, was another area for a more robust partnership.

"India boasts the world's fastest-growing economy. But it can't continue without energy, and American producers and grid developers are the best-suited to provide it. From liquefied natural gas, to nuclear power, to clean coal, to everything in between, American energy and American expertise can help power India's future," he said.

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US VP Mike Pence says planning to visit India soon - Economic Times

President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump and several Cabinet members attended the Saturday night wedding of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Scottish actress Louise Linton.

Vice President Mike Pence officiated the ceremony, which took place at Washington's Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, a historic venue located near the National Mall. Second lady Karen Pence was also in attendance.

Melania Trump wore a Gilles Mendel silk chiffon gown with Manolo Blahnik pumps, according to the first lady's office.

About 300 guests reportedly attended the wedding.

Aside from the Trumps and Pences, guests included White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and his wife Rebecca Miller, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson and Secretary of Veteran Affairs David Shulkin.

It's the second marriage for Linton, 36, and the third marriage for Mnuchin, 54.

Linton has appeared in the TV shows "CSI: NY" and "Cold Case," as well as the film "Cabin Fever."

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Trumps attend Steve Mnuchin's wedding, officiated by Mike Pence - ABC News

By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi | Updated: June 28, 2017 11:04 am US Vice-President Mike Pence was a former governor of Indiana state. (Source: AP)

At a business summit in the US, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Netherlands, Vice-President Mike Pence told the gathering that he has been invited to visit India. Speaking at the US-India Business Councils 42nd Annual Leadership Summit, Pence said he shared a light moment with the prime minister when the later said India ana (come visit India).

In fact, I told him when I was governor of Indiana, one of my ambitions was to be the first governor from Indiana to visit India, Pence was quoted as saying by Politico. I didnt get it done then, but the Prime Minister and I had a nice chuckle, because he told me that the words India ana mean coming to India.

Pence went on to praise PM Modis move to simplify Indias tax structure by introducing the Goods and Services Tax (GST). He, however, said the country needs to do more to create the fair and reciprocal trade relationship. We truly believe, with great respect, that the time to act is now, Pence added. He hailed the meeting between President Donald Trump and PM Modi as historic and productive.

President Trump recognizes that the United States relationship with India is one of the most important strategic relationships in the 21st century, he said.

Pence pointed to fast-expanding US defense sales to India and added: The United States will continue to enable the Indian armed forces to obtain the resources and technology it needs to protect the Indian people and support security in the region.

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'India ana': How PM Modi invited former Indiana governor Mike Pence to visit India - The Indian Express

Donald Trump and Mike Pence are the most effective pitchers in the Republican bullpen. The president has the starpower and gets the headlines, but the vice presidents emerging role could be just as valuable.

Trump is the flame-throwing closer with one pitch: his signature sharp rhetoric that metaphorically is his political fastball. But Pences recent public appearances showcase his role as the in-the-trenches long reliever who huddles with GOP members and reassures key constituent groups, and could be even more valuable.

The pairs recent schedules show a stark contrast that brings their roles into focus.

Trump on Friday entered the ornate East Room of the White House to sign a bill tailored to help military veterans get better care. In doing so, the commander in chief claimed a major personal achievement. It was carried live by cable news networks.

[Trump Boasts Tapes Bluff Forced Comeys Truthful Testimony]

On Wednesday night, Trump was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he, for over an hour, attacked his foes, made bold promises and listed the achievements of what he views as the most productive presidency at this point in U.S. history. The campaign-style rally lit Twitter on fire, made the front pages of all the major newspapers, and is still being replayed in soundbyte form on every network.

The same cannot be said of Pences recent public speeches.

The vice presidentquietly goes about the methodical business of delivering Trumps often searing populist message and governing vision in a friendlier, more conservative package.

That certainly was the case Friday, when Air Force Two landed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where Penceaddressed a conference put on by Focus on the Family, the self-describedglobal Christian ministry that provides help and resources for couples to build healthy marriages that reflect Gods design.

Its just the kind of conservative group with which Trump, a thrice-married Manhattanite who appeared often on Howard Sterns then-raunchy radio show and has made caught-on-tape remarks that made many religious peoplecringe, has an unlikely and shaky alliance.

The same cannot be said of Pence, who is very much at home with Christian conservatives.

The previous day, there was Pence, addressing a conference of contractors and builders in Washington. And he hailed them in terms that neatly aligned with core Republican principles.

You champion fiscal responsibility and individual freedom, Pence said. And I promise you, the American people are grateful that you are a champion for American values.

As he typically does when addressing an issue-specific group, the vice president a career politician and Washington veteran makes clear its importance to the Trump-Pence agenda.

This president has promised, simply put, in his words, to rebuild America, Pence said in his radio-trained voice. And its businesses like yours that are going to play such a leading role in doing that. Ahead of schedule and under budget, right?

The same was true on Tuesday, when the former Indiana governor and congressman spoke to a National Association of Manufacturers summit, just the kind of voters that went for the Trump-Pence ticket in November in key Rust Belt states that helped put the GOP ticket over the top.

[Trump Says Senate GOP Health Care Holdouts Are Four Good Guys]

Since your founding more than 120 years ago, the National Association of Manufacturers has fought tirelessly for the time-honored American principles of free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty, and equal opportunity, Pence said.

And not only do you advocate for the businesses in this room, you really advocate for America itself. American manufacturers are the beating heart of our national life and always will be, the vice presidentsaid to applause before delivering the line designed to tie the group directly to his and the presidents agenda ahead of their expected 2020 re-election bid.

To borrow a phrase, Pence said, manufacturers make America and they make America great.

Michael Steel, a former aide to 2016 GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush, said Penceis a natural choice for such targeted outreach because he possesses a deep background dealing with a range of individual interest groups across a spectrum of issues.

Jerri Ann Henry, a GOP political strategist, said the vice president provides a calming presence to groups who are inundated with speculation about Trumps plans and loyalties. Pence calms those concerns.

He has a lot of credibility with some of the hard-right groups like Focus on the Family, credibility Trump doesnt have even if those groups supported him, Henry said. Through all of the chaos of this administration, I think it is safe to say Pence is without question the most valuable player.

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Analysis: Mike Pence Works the Trenches - Roll Call - Roll Call

Protesters outfitted in red robes and white bonnets -- the signature look of "handmaids" in the Hulu series "The Handmaid's Tale" -- greeted Vice President Mike Pence Friday outside a speaking engagement in Colorado at the conservative Christian organization Focus on the Family.

"The Handmaid's Tale" is set in a dystopian future, where fertile women are forced into sexual servitude and identifiable by their distinct wardrobe.

The robe-wearing protesters -- who were part of a larger group of about 100, according to Colorado Springs ABC affiliate KRDO -- carried signs that read "Abort Mike Pence," "Stop Targeting Women's Healthcare" and "Stop Teaching Hate."

"This organization believes being gay is a sin and that it's possible to convert people from being gay to straight -- it's ridiculous," robe-and-bonnet-wearing protester Nancy Stilwagen told KRDO of Focus on the Family. "So many people say we don't want Sharia Law in this country. People are pushing it. It's just not Islamic law. It's Christian law."

Stilwagen carried a sign that read, "The Handmaid's Tale is not an instruction manual. It's a WARNING."

Pence told the audience of 1,650 that the organization should rekindle its interest in politics, especially in light of the Trump administration's proposal to slash funding to Planned Parenthood.

"The time is now," Pence said, explaining that former President Barack Obama's health law is "dead."

And then to a roar of applause and approval, he said, "This is when we are going to defund Planned Parenthood once and for all."

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'Handmaid's Tale' protesters greet Mike Pence at Colorado speech - ABC News