Kolkata, May 30: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has written to Mamata Banerjee thanking the Chief Minister for the hospitality extended to her during the recent visit and expressed hope that the US' partnership would help West Bengal achieve its full potential.
“I look forward to see the US partner with people of West Bengal to help the state achieve its full potential,” Hillary said in her letter, secretariat sources said today.
“It was a pleasure meeting you and I enjoyed our conversation about the shared history of Chicago and Kolkata as well as our shared aspirations for the future,” they said quoting the letter.
Hillary thanked Banerjee for the hospitality during her visit (May 6 and 7) to the city and thanked her for the flower paintings and exquisite textile and the books, which, she said, will “serve as a lovely reminder of our meeting and Bengal's rich culture and heritage”.
The US Secretary of State had an hour-long meeting with Banerjee at Writers' Buildings during the visit and discussed a range of issues including stepping up US investments in the state, the American consulate had said in a statement.
Hillary's much-hyped visit ended with the US delegation stating that the issue of American investments in retail sector had come up during her meeting with the chief minister, a claim that was later denied by Banerjee and her government.
The chief minister had told reporters after the meeting with Hillary that FDI in retail sector and Teesta water sharing issues did not figure in the discussion.
