India keen to work with Trump administration, says Jaitley

US VISIT Finance minister is in the US for annual spring meetings of the World Bank group, raises issue of H1B visa review during meeting with US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross

The IndiaUS relationship has significantly improved. It is far stronger, it is far matured. It has defied changes in the government whether in the US or India. ARUN JAITLEY, Finance minister

WASHINGTON: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Friday India-US relations have grown “far stronger and far matured” over decades and in the spirit of bipartisan support it enjoys in both countries, it would be a “great privilege” for New Delhi to continue working with the new Trump administration.

Jaitley, who is here for the annual spring meetings of the World Bank group, met US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross Thursday, in the first cabinetlevel meeting with the Trump administration. And he meets treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin Saturday.

“The India-US relationship over the last few decades has significantly improved. It is far stronger, it is far matured,” the minister said at a dinner hosted by ambassador Navtej Sarna. “It has defied changes in the government whether in the US or in India.”

He added: “In one sense it is a bipartisan relationship. I am sure it will be a great privilege for us to continue to work with the new administration to strengthen the various dimensions of this relationship.” There have been a series of meetings between Indian officials and Trump administration officials and cabinet members since the new president took office — including phone calls between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Trump.

And National Security Adviser H R McMaster became the first high-ranking Trump official to visit India earlier this week at the end of this three nation tour of South Asia, after Afghanistan and Pakistans. He met Prime Minister Modi.

In his meeting with Ross, Jaitley raised the issue of the Trump administration’s review of the H-1B temporary visa programme for high-skilled foreigners that is expected to impact Indians and Indian tech firms operating in the US adversely.

New Delhi has said it would be watching the review closely.

The finance minister used the opportunity to give an update on the India economic growth saying, “In the last three years even in the midst of a slowdown across the world, India has been able to grow in the range of seven to eight per cent.”

And that, he added, could get a “significant boost”, as economists are expecting when the new Goods and Services Tax legislation that is scheduled to be implemented middle of the year.