Kolkata: United States Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti while addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Thursday praised the West Bengal government's emphasis on making the state a major logistics hub in the region.

"I want to commend the West Bengal government's emphasis on developing ports and land waterways, multimodal transportation infrastructure, to make West Bengal a major logistics hub for this country and region. So it's no surprise that we are seeing those billions of dollars of investment from companies from the US...They're taking advantage of the strategic location of a great workforce," Garcetti said.

He also talked about the potential for the US to accelerate the needed infrastructure in Kolkata.

He added, "As a diplomat myself, I was a mayor for ten years and I'm passionate about infrastructure. In some of my meetings, I engage with leaders here about the potential for the US to accelerate the badly needed infrastructure here. Kolkata is a planned city that has been unplanned for a long time, and the aspirations of leaders to continue to replan it, is something not just here, but throughout east and Northeast India. We hope that we can be great friends and partners."

US envoy Garcetti further said that there are a lot of investors and there are billions of dollars on the sidelines waiting to help invest in West Bengal.

Earlier today, Garcetti met Principal Chief Adviser to the Chief Minister and Finance Department of the West Bengal government, Amit Mitra in Kolkata.

The two sides held a discussion on the importance of women's empowerment, economic opportunities for diverse communities, climate actions, and ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the US and India in West Bengal.