India-U.S. ties to grow under new President

New Delhi, Nov 9: The India-US relationship will continue to grow in future, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma said on Wednesday as the US elected Donald Trump as its 45th President.

Verma said the ties that bind India and US go beyond the friendship between Indian and American leaders.

"Whether Democrat, Republican, Independent, Red or Blue on the political map, this is something fundamental to our values and to our core as Americans. And it's something, I'm sure, that can be appreciated by all of us here - from both the oldest democracy in the world, and the largest democracy in the world," Verma said.

"The ties that bind our two countries together are based on our shared democratic values, and go beyond the friendship of the American President and the Indian Prime Minister. They go beyond the economic and people-to-people ties. The US-India relationship is vitally important, it is bipartisan, and it is only growing stronger. Here's to another four years of robust US-India Dosti," he said.

The Ambassador said the last two years have been the best in India-US relationship, and added it is a "non-partisan" issue.

"As I look back, last couple of years in particular for US-India relationship, they may be the best two years we have ever had. We are passing on the torch to the next administration in very good shape.

"The gains in the US-India relationship for decades has been on bi-partisan basis, with Republican and Democrat presidents, and different parties controlling the house and the senate. I would even say US-India relationship is now a non-partisan issue."

Asked what would be the US' approach to the war against terror with the new president, the ambassador said: "I am very confident that the security partnership we have in Asia, South-Asia and with India particularly... that standing up against terrorism around the world will continue to be a big priority."

On a question on what message was sent out with Trump's victory, the Ambassador said: "I think obviously there was an economic message, probably a message about globalisation, and income inequality. We will be taking on these sensitive issues."

He added that it will also be the job of the new president to bring the country, which is presently divided on political lines, on the same page.

"Job of next president is to bring the country together because we can't govern a divided country. This has been a practice in US during these transitions as you come into power and form your coalition, you need to reach out in order to get things done. It does take coalition to get things done," he said.