The India-US partnership is crucial for achieving global peace and prosperity for up to half a century, US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley said on Thursday but hinted at possible irritants like India’s ties with Iran that could crimp relations.

Nikki Haley, US ambassador to UN, in New Delhi on Thursday.

In a carefully crafted speech aimed at not ruffling feathers in Delhi, Haley underlined the importance of the India-US relationship saying: “Perhaps no other partnership has as much potential for global peace and prosperity over the next 10, 20, or 50 years.”

“The way this (Trump) administration in the United States feels is that the relationship is stronger now and the opportunities are greater now,” she said later in remarks after the speech. “The Trump administration specifically puts a lot of value on the US-India partnership not because of where we have been but because of where we are going,” Haley said in response to a question on whether the US-India partnership was running out of steam, seemingly plagued by many irritants.

In her speech, Haley focused only on the positives of the India-US economic relations—the fact that trade had doubled over the last decade and the common commitment of the two countries to “open, market-based economies”— and not on the trade deficits and  high tariffs that US president Donald Trump has been spotlighting. Again, while lauding India’s record in UN peacekeeping and referring to the UN reform agenda on the subject, Haley did not refer to India’s bid become a permanent member of the UN Security Council—something India has been publically campaigning for.

On Iran, Haley contrasted India’s record as “a responsible steward” of nuclear technology with that of Iran which she said funded terrorism and pursued a dangerous nuclear weapons programme.

The US was in talks with India on the subject, she said

Elizabeth.r@livemint.com NEW DELHI Prasannata Patwa contributed to this story

Courtesy: Mint: 29 Jun 2018