Geithner says Apr 5-6 India visit aimed at strengthening ties

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Apr 3 (PTI) Ahead of his visit to India next
week, US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said his aim
is to deepen America's relationship with the "economically and
strategically important" country, where he would discuss
global reforms and issue of terrorism financing.
"... I think there's certainly a deep commitment on the
President (Barack Obama's) part to strengthen this
relationship, a deep appreciation for the challenges India's
facing and the common interest we are facing on these kinds of
things," Geithner told a group of Indian journalists here.
"I have watched him, listened to the President on this
kind of stuff and I know he shares that kind of view very
strongly," he said, adding the sole purpose of his April 5-6
trip is to deepen and strengthen the bilateral relationship.
Geithner said that terrorism financing is one of the
issues that would be part of his talks with Indian officials.
"I can't give you any detail on it (terrorism financing)
but I know we will be talking about it as we have always
talked about it. We have a lot of very productive,
constructive things we have been able to do together on that
front, we will keep doing it," he said.
Geithner, who will formally launch the new US-India
Economic and Financial Partnership, along with Indian Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee, said the main purpose of his maiden
trip to New Delhi and Mumbai as Treasury Secretary is to work
to "establish a long-term" relationship with India.
"I have huge admiration for the policy of India in the
economic, financial (sector) and for the Prime Minister and
have great admiration for what they have accomplished in
dealing with this difficult time," he said.
Geithner said he wants to build a much stronger
cooperative partnership with India on broader global financial
issues, which are important for both the countries.
"One reason I am going to India is to get a better sense
of what is happening there -- both in the economy and the
broaden reform process in the financial sector and elsewhere.
As always I am going to make sure that the leaders in Indian
get to understand directly from me how we are managing our
challenges here and how thing feel here," he said.
"I think that in anytime we have these kinds of
conversations with a major partner, we spend a lot of time
talking about the basic economic challenges in both countries.
In India's case, it is more important and a little
different cause, "not just because India is so important to us
economically and strategically but it is going to be important
because we're at a point in the broaden G-20 progress" and it
is crucial that both sides work closely together in trying to
set the agenda of reforms, he said. (More) PTI