New York, Sep 25 — US President Donald Trump wants more attention paid to South Asia, "a critical" part of the world, according to a US State Department official charged with the region's diplomacy.
"We’re very, very excited about where the next years are going to go", said Bethany Morrison, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia.
"We see South Asia as such a critical sort of part of the world that really has not gotten enough attention, and that’s where President Trump has really made sure, that he has advised us to do" more, she said briefing reporters.
"It’s often a region that historically gets overlooked until there’s a crisis because of all, everything else, happening in the world -- from what’s happening in Latin America to Africa to the Middle East, and then obviously land wars in Europe", she said.
It "has really become a major priority of the Trump Administration, and we’re very, very excited about that", she said.
The importance given the region is seen in "from energy to big commercial deals to defense engagements and agreements to large multilateral diplomatic meetings like the Quad", group of India, the US, Japan and Australia, she said.
"The fact that the US cares about these relationships [with South Asian countries] is real", Morrision said.
Trump has given US Ambassador to India, Sergei Gor, the additional assignment as the special envoy to South and Central Asia.
Morrison said about him, "We also have an incredibly active special envoy who’s been to almost every single country in South Asia and he’s engaged at the highest level with the government leaders there on behalf of the president".
She also mentioned that the "scale and breadth" of US relations with India are growing, with the energy sector exemplifying it as New Delhi tries to diversify its sources.
"We’re now very proudly the largest exporter of LPG to India", said Morrison.
"So, when we talk about diversifying energy sources, we are happy that the United States is now becoming that provider" she told reporters in New York.
In another energy area, nuclear, Morrison said she saw " exciting new developments".
"India for the first time in 20 years reformed their nuclear regulatory environment by passing the SHANTI Act, and now we’re moving forward on some really exciting new developments in civil nuclear cooperation", she said.