India is not exploiting Paris deal, minister rubbishes US allegation

NEW DELHI: India said on Monday that it did not sign the Paris climate agreement under pressure or out of greed with foreign minister Sushma Swaraj emphatically dismissing US President Donald Trump's allegation that India was exploiting the deal. Swaraj reiterated India's position that it will remain a part of the agreement with or without the US.
“We didn't sign the Paris agreement under pressure from any country or because we wanted money from some country ,“ said Swaraj, addressing a press conference on the completion of three years of government.
“We signed it because of our belief,-a 5,000-year-old belief in environment and our commitment to protecting it.If someone says we signed it for money or under pressure, I'll reject it. It is wrong,“ she added. Trump, while talking about US decision to pull out of the agreement, had accused India of seeking “billions and billions and billions“ of dollars through the Paris deal.
Swaraj, however, said that such issues will not affect Indo-US relationship which was of “mutual benefit“.
“PM Modi has spoken to President Trump thrice. I've also spoken to my counterpart. Our officials have also had talks with theirs on many occasions. Every interaction has been positive and good. The US is India's major defence partner. And there has been no intimation from their side that might suggest diluting this special relationship we share, “ the minister said.
On Trump's executive order for tightening the rules of the H-1B visas, the minister said New Delhi was in talks with Trump administration officials. She said the relationship between India and the US since Trump took charge were growing with the “same speed“ as was the case when Barack Obama was President.