Senate Resolution 3

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION HONORING THE TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN INDIA AND MISSISSIPPI, EXPRESSING OUR APPRECIATION FOR THE SUCCESSFUL RELATIONSHIP AND WELCOMING CONSUL GENERAL DR. SWATI VIJAY KULKARNI TO OUR GREAT STATE.

WHEREAS, India is Mississippi's 19th largest export market, with the value of Mississippi's exports to India having grown by approximately 30%; and

WHEREAS, in 2017, the State of Mississippi hosted its first-ever trade mission to India under the leadership of Governor Phil Bryant, where he was accompanied by prominent Mississippi business leaders, as well as government officials, such as Glenn McCullough Jr., the Executive Director of the Mississippi Development Authority, and Andy Gipson, the Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner; and

WHEREAS, in honor of this valuable business partnership, the Consul General of India in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Swati Vijay Kulkarni, is visiting the State of Mississippi to nurture continued trade relations with our state; and

WHEREAS, Consul General Kulkarni was appointed to her current position in India in May of 2018, as the first woman to be appointed to the post in Atlanta; and

WHEREAS, she is a career diplomat who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1995, and holds two degrees, a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery from the Government Medical College, Nagpur, in India; and

WHEREAS, in 2018, as testament to our continued efforts to increase trade relations with India, Mississippi proudly produced and shipped genuine Mississippi poultry to India; and

WHEREAS, according to national reports, India is projected to be the largest country in the world by population within the next decade; and

WHEREAS, India's tremendous potential growth will undoubtedly lead to more opportunities for collaboration, and it is important that our state not only maintain, but improve our relations with India; and

WHEREAS, Mississippi leads the United States in exporting tanning and dye extracts to India, is the 8th largest exporter of mineral fuels to India, largely due to petroleum coke exports, and is the 10th largest exporter of medical instruments to India, with the majority of exports being diagnostic and surgical devices as well as artificial joints and parts; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Senate to honor business relationships with other countries that have produced successful trade relations:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby honor the trade relations between India and Mississippi, express our appreciation for the successful relationship and welcome Consul General Dr. Swati Vijay Kulkarni to our great state.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to India's Consul General Dr. Swati Vijay Kulkarni and made available to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.