'Indo-US ties matured into strategic partnership'

Washington: With the bilateral engagement experiencing remarkable transformation, Indo-US relationship has now matured into a strategic partnership of global dimensions, Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao has said.

"Our bilateral engagement with the United States has witnessed remarkable transformation and has matured into a strategic partnership of global dimensions," Rao said in her speech at the American University on 'India's role in a Changing World'.

"Our 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," Rao said on Wednesday.

The visits of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to US in 2009 and that of US President Barack Obama to India last year were landmark milestones in the development of the relations of two countries.

"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. We are engaging with each other and cooperating on most major global issues as also on capacity building in third countries," she said.

Rao said India represents a unique model of development in the world.

"Nowhere else can you find a country of India's diversity, of India's complexity. Sixty five years into India's journey as a vibrant democracy, I would say that it is the Indian model of democratic governance together with its economic strength, resilience and dynamism of its people that propels the promise and the potential of India's role on the global stage," she said.

India's engagement with the world has increased considerably in recent years and this is only bound to grow as India actively pursues its interests in the world and remains ready to contribute within her capacity, she said.