Los Angeles wants to promote clean technology with India

"The future of Los Angeles was connected to the East and to the Asia-Pacific, including India," he told Indian ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, during her recent visit to Los Angeles, according to the Indian Embassy.

He mentioned that the emergence of Los Angeles as the centre for clean technology offered significant opportunities for cooperation with India.

Villaraigosa, who has been leading Los Angeles, the in the United States, since 2005 and is the current president of the United States Conference of Mayors, also referred to the sister-city relationship between Los Angeles and Mumbai.

He spoke of the important role played by Los Angeles in driving the economy of California and the US and appreciated that Rao chose to visit the city within a few months of arriving in the US.

Rao thanked Villaraigosa for the warm welcome and noted the growing momentum of India-US relations built upon shared values and interests.

She said that there was tremendous scope for strengthening ties between India and Los Angeles in diverse areas including high and clean technology, health, entertainment and education.

Rao also noted India's interest in learning from Los Angeles' experience in mega city policing in the context of India-US counter-terrorism cooperation.

Villaraigosa accepted Rao's invitation to visit India and expressed interest in going there sometime in 2012.