India-US ties retreated under Obama: Romney aide

Relationship is mutually beneficial & there is need to forge new areas of cooperation

The strategic partnership between India and the United States has "retreated" under the current Obama Administration as compared to the momentum built during the Bush-era, Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney's campaign has said.

"The relationship between India and the US is mutually beneficial and there is a need to forge new areas of cooperation," a top foreign policy advisor to Romney said yesterday.

"I worked in the Bush Administration both 41 and 43. Especially in 43 (George W Bush) we were very proud of the partnership were able to forge between the United States and India.

"I think it was mutually beneficial as these things should be both economically, diplomatically and in military and security sphere as well," Mitchell B Reiss, a senior foreign policy advisor to Romney told a group of foreign journalists during a conference call.

"I think that what I have seen under the current administration is little bit of retreat, little bit of backsliding from the promise that was starting to be to realise the momentum under the Bush Administration," Reiss said.

"So I think, the Romney Administration would like to restore relationship, restore that strategic partnership with India, which after all is the world's largest democracy and see areas where we can continue to co-operate, perhaps forge new areas of co-operation," Reiss said in response to a question on Romney's India policy.

Reiss, who held numerous positions during George Bush presidency, including as director of policy planning at the State Department under Colin Powell and as special envoy to Northern Ireland peace process under Condoleezza Rice, responded to a wide range of foreign policy questions.

This is for the first time that the Romney campaign has publicly expressed its views on India.