Washington, June 30 -- US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor brushed aside the row surrounding the re-designation of the US Indo-Pacific Command, asserting that emphasis must be placed on the core substance of the bilateral partnership rather than the "name on a letterhead".

Addressing the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum Leadership Summit on Monday, Gor highlighted that New Delhi continues to participate in more military drills with Washington than with any other global partner, reaffirming that bilateral defence operations remain highly consistent.

The American diplomat also dismissed assertions that India-US relations had deteriorated, maintaining that the strategic partnership remains "on strong footing", spanning commercial trade, ...