Thaindian News

Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) In a globalised world, closer partnership between India and the United States will be of great value for forging global consensus and cooperation, according to Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao.

India and US today are engaging with each other and cooperating on most major global issues as also on capacity building in third countries, she noted in an address at the American University on ‘India’s role in a Changing World’ Wednesday.

“In an Asia-centred century, India will continue to play a role that is commensurate with its size, its growing economic strength, its proven capacity to manage its enormous diversity within a democratic polity, its contributions to global peace and security, and its justified quest for a greater voice in a multilateral system that is balanced, equitable, and representative of new global realities,” Rao said.

Recalling that Obama had described the India-US partnership as “one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century,” she said:

“Our bilateral engagement with the United States has witnessed remarkable transformation and has matured into a strategic partnership of global dimensions,”

“The multi-faceted strategic partnership is based on our converging strategic and economic interests, the vibrant ties between our peoples and businesses, and our shared values as two of world’s largest democracies,” she said.

The visits of Indian Prime Minister to US in 2009 and President Barack Obama’s visit to India in November last year were landmark milestones in the development of the two countries’ relations, Rao said.

“Today we are not only discussing issues such as strategic cooperation, counter terrorism, defence, high technology, civil nuclear and space sectors cooperation but also a broad range of development issues that directly and positively impact on the lives of our citizens including cooperation in education, health, agriculture, weather forecasting, innovation,” she said.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)