India celebrates expression of people's mandate in US: MEA's Jaiswal

With the result of the closely fought presidential election in the United States declared, India on Thursday said it celebrates the expression of people's mandate there and wants to further strengthen the partnership.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said this in response to a question at a media briefing here a day after Donald Trump registered a remarkable political comeback to win a second term at the Oval Office.

India celebrates this expression of people's mandate in the US, Jaiswal said. "We want to further strengthen our partnership."  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President-elect Donald Trump in a telephonic conversation on Wednesday "reaffirmed their commitment" to working together to further strengthen bilateral ties across a range of sectors, the MEA said earlier in the day.

In a statement on the phone conversation, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the prime minister highlighted that the US leader's "spectacular and resounding victory" in the election reflected the "deep trust" of the American people in his leadership and vision.

Modi warmly congratulated him on his "re-election as the president of the United States of America as well as Republican Party's success in the Congressional elections", the MEA said.