Washington: Greeting Indians ahead of the country`s 65th Republic Day on January 26, a top US diplomat termed America`s partnership with India as broad and strong.
"The bottom line is that this (India-US) partnership is broad and it is strong," Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Heather Higginbottom yesterday said as she brought the message from US President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry.
"India`s Republic Day reminds us of the strength of India`s democratic institutions and traditions," Higginbottom said in her address at a reception organised by Indian Ambassador to the United States S Jaishankar, ahead of the January 26 celebrations.
"And it also reminds us of the strength of the ties between our people and our governments, as we often say, we have a strategic partnership between the oldest and the largest democracies in the world," Higginbottom said.
"We have a broad range of joint efforts and shared interests that keep propelling us forward," Higginbottom said, bringing the message of the US President.
"Our space cooperation has given Indian farmers better weather forecasts; our homeland security dialogue has made our countries safer from terrorist attacks and our health initiatives have enhanced our ability to detect dangerous pathogens that threaten all people, she said.
"Our work on climate and energy issues has generated billions in funding for clean initiatives; our close cooperation on education brings faculty and researchers from India into US universities, and facilitates scholarly exchanges; and our strong trade and investment ties fight poverty and drive growth in both countries," Higginbottom said.
"We have reached close to USD 100 billion in bilateral trade each year ? numbers that we expect to see increase in the coming years," Higginbottom said.
"Beyond our bilateral relations, we are strong partners in building an international framework to underpin continued peace and prosperity," she added.
"Our regional dialogues, including the US-India-Japan trilateral exchange and the ASEAN Regional Forum, have helped develop a shared vision for stability in Asia and the Indian and Pacific Oceans," Higginbottom said, asserting that she has no doubt that "this relationship will continue to grow" for the benefit of all people of the two countries.
