US-India ties independent of relationship with Russia, China: Ram Madhav

Washington: India's relationship with Russia and China will have no bearing on the strategic partnership with the US, a senior BJP leader has said, underlining that New Delhi follows a de-hyphenated foreign policy that makes its ties with one country "independent" of another.

BJP general secretary Ram Madhav asserted that India continues to strive to strengthen ties with the US.

"Regional politics demand that we build strong bilateral relations with important powers in the region, some of them happen to be having difficulties with the US.

But, that will not have any bearing on our relationship with the US," Madhav said, apparently referring to the US sanctions on Russia.

He was responding to questions on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's informal summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping last month and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

"Look in the last three-four years, you must have noticed we have followed what we call as de-hyphenated foreign policy," he said.

A de-hyphenated foreign policy means that India would pursue its relationship with different countries independent of their relationship with any third country.

"India is pursuing the de-hyphenated policy.

We have certain regional imperatives that command us to establish relationship with powers of different poles in the region.

But that does not affect the larger issues like US India bilateral relationship," Madhav said in response to a question.

US President Donald Trump had signed a law, The Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act', CAATSA, imposing sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea.

The Section 231 of CAATSA mandates secondary sanctions on those who conduct significant transactions with the Russian defence and intelligence sectors.

Madhav was here in the American Capital over the weekend to be address the New India event of the Overseas Friends of BJP to celebrate the fourth anniversary of the NDA government on Sunday.