US says India is and will remain a key partner

Washington: India is and will remain a key partner of America which is going to remain completely focused on improving and strengthening the bilateral ties during the remainder of the Obama administration, the US has said.

"We greatly value and respect the relationship we have with India today and the one that we have worked very, very hard at improving and strengthening," State Department Spokesperson John Kirby said.

"We are going to stay completely focused on that for the remainder of this Obama administration," Kirby said yesterday as he welcomed new Indian Ambassador to the US Navtej Sarna.

"We welcome the new ambassador and we look forward to working closely with him as he settles into his new duties, but I can tell you that nothing is going to change for the remainder of Secretary of State (John) Kerry's tenure about the very keen focus that we are going to continue to place on our bilateral relationship with India.

"What happens after the inauguration of our new president is really for the new administration to speak to," he said.

Kirby said there is no question that India remains and will remain a key partner in that part of the world and that strong bilateral relations will need to continue.

"But what it looks like, the form and content and shape, I could not possibly predict what that is," he added.