Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], May 27 (ANI): US Ambassador Eric Garcetti inaugurated the US Consulate in Hyderabad on Friday during a gala celebration of the 247th anniversary of American Independence. Telangana State Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan joined Ambassador Garcetti, along with US Consul General Jennifer Larson and Ausaf Sayeed of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The event took place as a part of Ambassador Garcetti's first official visit to Hyderabad since assuming his duties as the top US diplomat in India.

"President Biden is fond of saying: Don't tell me what you value. Show me your budget and I'll tell you what you value," said Ambassador Garcetti.

"By that standard, it should be clear how deeply the United States values this city and this region. We opened this USD 340 million facility because Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha are writing one of the most important chapters of the US-India Strategic Partnership."Ambassador Garcetti began his trip to Hyderabad with a visit to the historic Chowmahalla Palace. He also toured the US-supported Mitr Transgender Clinic, met with students at the Y-Axis Foundation, joined a lunch at the Indian School of Business, and visited T-Hub's facility in Raidurg.

He will wrap up his trip to Hyderabad with visits to iconic cultural sites, including Charminar and the Paigah tombs, where the US government is providing a quarter of a million dollars to support the conservation and restoration of six tombs built between the 18th and 19th centuries as part of the Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation.

Eric Garcetti was credentialed as the 26th US ambassador to India by President Droupadi Murmu on May 11, 2023. After serving on the Los Angeles City Council for 12 years, Ambassador Garcetti won the election in 2013 as the youngest mayor inthe city's history. He then won re-election in 2017.

As Mayor, Garcetti oversaw a period of economic growth and opportunity, won a bid for Los Angeles to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, and pursued an aggressive health and climate agenda. He also served as a naval officer in the reserve component for 12 years.

Ambassador Garcetti earned a B.A. as a John Jay Scholar from Columbia University, where he studied Hindi and Indian culture. He holds a Master's degree from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and was a Rhodes Scholar at The Queen's College, Oxford. Ambassador Garcetti and his wife, Amy Elaine Wakeland, have one daughter and have been foster parents for more than a decade. A fourth-generation native of Los Angeles, Ambassador Garcetti is an avid pianist and photographer. (ANI)