Washington: As Obama Administration
completed its first year in office, the White House has said
that partnership with India is "critical and very important".
"It should be clear that we continue here at the
White House and in the National Security Council to view the
partnership with India is critical and very important," Mike
Hammer, White House spokesman told a news agency yesterday on the
occasion of US President Barack Obama completing one year in
office.
In the words of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, it
launched third phase - Indo-US 3.0 -- of relationship with
New Delhi.
For Indo-US relationship, one of the key features of
the second year of Obama Administration would be Obama`s visit
to India sometime this year.
"The President very much looks forward to visit India
this year, but do not have any concrete announcement to make
regarding that visit," Hammer said.
It was during the State Visit of the Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh in November that Obama said he has accepted
the invitation to visit India this year.
Obama is expected to take his entire family to India
on his first ever visit to the country.
"President Obama had made priority in the first year
of his Administration to a develop close partnership with
India to build on the previous administration’s work.
And fully realising that there is a great potential
for growth and further work between our two countries in
advancing a common agenda on major issues of concern to the
global community, which include issues like economic
development, like climate change, energy, and also promoting
peace around the globe," Hammer said reviewing Indo-US
relationship in the first year of the Administration.
"In that spirit the President had his first and the
only State Dinner with Prime Minister Singh.
That event marked really the closeness and bonds
between our two countries and really reflected the deep
affection that there is for India and the contributions as
well the Indian-Americans make to American society," said the
White House spokesperson.
It was during this administration that the White
House appointed a senior director level official at the
National Security Council to exclusively handle America`s
relationship with India, he pointed out.
The first year also included important visits by the
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Defense Secretary Robert
Gates, National Security Advisor James Jones.
"So we see a continuing already of that deep
engagement this year with the recent visit of Secretary Gates.
I fully anticipate that every effort would be made on
the part of the United States to forge an even deeper
partnership with India in this coming year," Hammer said.
PTI
