Obama reiterates support for India as UNSC member

Mangalore Today News Network

Washington, April 8, 2015: US President Barack Obama on Tuesday reiterated support for India’s membership of a reformed United Nations Security Council as he considers it a foreign policy priority to strengthen Indo-US ties.

"What the President said was that he said in the context of a reformed Security Council that the President would support the inclusion of India in that process," White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

"So that continues to be our policy and one that we are certainly aware of," Earnest said when questioned about Obama’s declaration of US support for India’s membership of the Security Council during his November 2010 visit.

"The President genuinely enjoyed the visit that he had to India back in January," Earnest added.

"He takes very seriously the kind of opportunities that exist in that friendship between the United States and the world’s largest democracy in India. And this is a relationship that continues to strengthen in a way that has both national security benefits for both countries, but also in a way that has important economic benefits for both countries," Earnest said.

Asked about the future of the illegal immigrants after a US court stayed the operation of Obama’s executive action to temporarily protect from deportation about five million illegal immigrants, including thousands of Indians, Earnest said they were working through the legal system.

"We continue to be working through the legal system to appeal the ruling of the district court judge that prevented the implementation of some aspects of the President’s immigration executive actions," he said.