A senior US government official said his country wants more involvement of India in South Asian politics including Nepal where political deadlock has badly hampered the peace process and constitution writing.

US Under Secretary for Political Affairs William J Burns said on Tuesday, “As India looks eastward, its role in its immediate neighbourhood obviously remains crucial. We have complementary interests on the subcontinent, and the United States supports India’s leadership in encouraging the emergence of a stable democratic government in Bangladesh… easing tensions in Nepal… and promoting peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.”

He further said, “Neither of us intends to outsource South Asia policy to the other, but more often than not our policy prescriptions converge.”

He was speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington on  India’s rise and promise of US- India partnership ahead of the first ever India-US Strategic Dialogue.

Stating that India’s strength and progress on the world stage is in the strategic interest of the United States, Burns said India plays an increasingly significant role in Asia and that India’s expanding global role will naturally make it an important part of any future consideration of reform of the UN Security Council. nepalnews.com