The new U.S administration is optimistic about America’s relations with India and India sees no conflict between its ‘Make in India’ programme and U.S President Donald Trump’s push for expanding manufacturing in America, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar has said..
"…the administration has a very positive view of India and India-US relations. We saw a lot of goodwill and interest in taking this relation forward,"" Mr. Jaishankar said during a press conference after a series of meetings with officials of the Trump administration and lawmakers in the U.S capital this week. Mr. Jaishankar and Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia discussed economic, security and defence cooperation with American interlocutors. The discussions with the U.S. foreign policy and national security officials also covered “global strategic landscape,” and “both sides exchanged ideas on Asia Pacific and Af-Pak and Middle East,” the FS said. Mr. Jaishankar, however, did not offer any assessment on the new U.S administration’s position on these areas of critical importance to India. “It is not for me to comment on what is their policy,” he said.
Mr. Jaishankar and Ms. Teaotia met U.S Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly, National Security Advisor (NSA) H.R. McMaster and Deputy Assistant to the President Kenneth I. Juster and several Congressional leaders. The Indian officials also interacted with U.S business leaders.
Need to look for new opportunities
Mr. Jaishankar said with the "new set of players and a new way of looking at the world" in the new administration, "we need to adapt to it and look for new opportunities for cooperation." However, there is an element of continuity in bilateral relations, he added. “We are not starting from the scratch. You have the foundation of where the previous administration left it.”
Responding to a question on the protectionist economic agenda that Mr. Trump has set out on, Mr. Jaishankar said: "…every country would like to take steps that would be in the best interest of their economy and the way the global economy works is that countries reconcile those… through an international trading system. …If there is more robust growth in America..it can offer opportunity here..”
Mr. Jaishankar said the murder of Indian engineer Srinivar Kuchibhotla recently in Kansas featured in several meetings and the U.S interlocutors have assured India that it would be prosecuted as a hate crime. "….we heard expression of deep sorrow, deep regret, "" Mr. Jaishankar said.
H-1B discussed
The question of H-1B visas came up in discussions with the Secretaries and lawmakers, Indian officials said. "If the Trump administration wants to bring more companies and investments to the country and America grows, that growing America needs this partnership and I think that was a point that was registered. It is an economic issue, a trade, business issue,” said Mr.Jaishankar. “We have certainly made our point forcefully and believe it was met with a certain degree of acceptance,” he said.
“There is a recognition in the administration, of the contribution of Indians in the tech sector. This [H -1B] is not a priority in the immigration debate at the moment for the administration, and when it comes up, it will be addressed as part of the broader immigration package,” said Ms. Teaotia.
