Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).

Despite ideological differences, the Democratic Party supports President Donald Trump’s efforts to strengthen the partnership between the US and India, said Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthy.

US-India relation “transcends partisanship” and the party supports the efforts of the Trump administration to further strengthen it, Krishnamoorthy told Indio Asian News Service in an interview.

“The more he can do that the better because it will help each of our economies and will enhance our security and also bring our two peoples together even closer between the world’s oldest and largest democracies,” Krishnamoorthy said.

“It is good that the President is continuing the strengthening of the US-India relationship,” he added.

Washington is keen on strengthening the co-operation with India especially to counter the growing influence of China in Asia. The US considers India as an important ally as per the South Asian strategy unveiled recently.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had reiterated this stance during his recent visit to India. Calling India a strategic partner, Tillerson said the mutual relationship is not region specific.

Krishnamoorthy is glad that the relationship is now something that both parties support.

“What I am always concerned about is any kind of relation, any kind of interaction that is transactional in nature,” he said. “We need to make it about relationship growing.”

According to him, both the nations should continue to promote mutual investment to strengthen the partnership. it is very, very important that for instance that we enhance our economic relationship, that we continue to promote Indian investment in the US, just as the Indians will promote American investment in India”. (Is this a quote?)

Krishnamoorthy’s comments came at a time when the Global Entrepreneurship Summit co-hosted by the US and India is concluding in Hyderabad.

He also added that other Indian Americans in the House of Representatives – Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Ami Bera – try to help each other with their bills of interest.

“We have taken a stand against hate crimes directed against Indian-Americans whether they are Sikhs, Hindus or Muslims or Jains. We work together on those issues,” he said.