US relations with India stand on their own merit: Vajda

The US looked at India as a strategic partner and the relations between the two countries stood on their own merit and were not directed towards "any one country" in the south Asian region, a senior US State Department official said here today.
The two countries would work together not only now, but also in the future, to promote peace and prosperity in the region, Thomas Vajda, the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, the US Department of State, said.
He said the US looked at India as a strategic partner and added, "Our ties had never been so good."

"The relations between India and the US stand on their own merit and are not directed towards any one country in the region," he told reporters during an informal chat here.
Vajda, who is also the US Consul General in Mumbai, said to promote peace and prosperity in the south Asian region, both India and the US would have to work together not only now, but also in the future.
The deep partnership between the two countries was seen in the US co-hosting the just-concluded Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Hyderabad, along with the Indian government, he said.

The US, Vajda said, was eager to promote peace and prosperity in a close partnership with India, adding that it was fundamental to the flow of trade in south Asia.

"We want to do that not at the expense of any other country and also do not want to prioritise any one over the other," he said.
On the Indo-Pak conflict, Vajda said, "The US condemns terrorism emanating from the Pakistani soil. But the two countries should resolve the differences through dialogue."
He also said the US was in favour of a dignified return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar and their proper resettlement.
In an interaction organised by the Bengal Chambers of Commerce and Industries (BCCI), Vajda spoke about an increasing US interest in India, which was a natural market owing to its huge middle class population.

As the connectivity with the East increased, more channels would open up for expanding business links, he said.