Washington: United States is looking forward to working closely with the new Government in India and the goal remains to develop a new strategic relationship, a senior US official said.

"India is a potential partner for the United States on global issues. We are looking forward to working closely with the new Government. Our goal remains to develop a new strategic relationship," Director of US Policy Planning Mitchell B Reiss said in address at the Asia Foundation.

He called for deeper economic reforms, trade liberalisation and "a more predictable investment environment", adding the economic potential of the region remains enormous.

Reiss said "US shared Democratic traditions and interests with an India that is developing into one of the most important nations of the 21st century and we have more at stake bilaterally than ever before".

"To this end, we are pursuing a variety of steps designed to expand our dialogue, including enhanced civil, nuclear and space co-operation and more high-technology trade," he said.

Calling for enhanced trade relations with New Delhi, Reiss said India is growing rapidly "but we have yet to realize the full potential of our commercial relations".

He said in 2000, US exports to India were valued at $ 3.6 billion, more or less where they had been for the previous five years.

"US exports to China are about five times greater. US exports to Ireland in 2001 were almost twice as great as exports to India. The situation is even worse with US direct investment. We have the ambition to do better."