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  World   Americas  21 Jul 2017  US congratulates President-elect Kovind, ‘looks forward’ to working with him

US congratulates President-elect Kovind, ‘looks forward’ to working with him

PTI
Published : Jul 21, 2017, 11:47 am IST
Updated : Jul 21, 2017, 11:47 am IST

The US State Department spokesperson credited the close people-to-people contact between the world's 2 largest democracies.

Kovind, a low-key lawyer-turned-politician, was elected on Thursday as India's 14th President, the first BJP member and the second Dalit to occupy the country's highest office. (Photo: AP)
 Kovind, a low-key lawyer-turned-politician, was elected on Thursday as India's 14th President, the first BJP member and the second Dalit to occupy the country's highest office. (Photo: AP)

Washington: The United States has congratulated president-elect Ram Nath Kovind on his electoral victory and said that it "looks forward" to working with him on regional and global issues.

Kovind, a low-key lawyer-turned-politician, was elected on Thursday as India's 14th President, the first BJP member and the second Dalit to occupy the country's highest office.

"We want to congratulate the president-elect Ram Nath Kovind on his victory," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert told reporters on Thursday.

Noting that the US and India have a "deep and growing strategic partnership", she said: "We look forward to working with president-elect on regional and global issues."

Nauert credited the close people-to-people contact between the world's two largest democracies and "our shared democratic values" with the type of partnership they share.

A former Bihar governor, Kovind, 71, defeated the joint opposition candidate Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker.

Tags: ram nath kovind, us-india ties, president-elect
Location: United States, District of Columbia, Washington