Strategic Dialogue a milestone in Indo-US ties:Krishna, Roemer

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Jun 3 (PTI) The US and India have said their
Strategic Dialogue is another "milestone" in bilateral
relationship with the Obama Administration saying the future
is bright and the "sky is the limit"
"This week is another milestone in the US-India strategic
relationship that has grown in leaps and bounds in the past 10
years," US Ambassador to India Tim Roemer said in his address
to the US India Business Council (USIBC) ahead of the
Strategic Dialogue here.
Roemer also argued that the US-India bilateral
relationship is actually "the good news story" of the decade.
India's External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are co-chairing the first
Cabinet-level Indo-US Strategic Dialogue; which according to
top US officials would set the pace for the long-term
strategic relationship between the two countries.
Roemer said the "future is bright and the sky is the
limit" for the US-India strategic relationship.
"The US-India Strategic Dialogue is a series of high
level meetings and events culminating in the June 3 Plenary
Session between Secretary Clinton and External Affairs
Minister Krishna.
It will highlight the progress in our partnership and
identify new areas for collaboration," he said.
Krishna said the Strategic Dialogue would be an
important occasion for both the countries to set their sights
on "new milestones" as they share interests ranging from
counter-terrorism to nuclear security to Afghanistan.
"With an extremely broad range of shared interests, I
will join Secretary Hillary Clinton, for the first India-US
strategic dialogue at the ministerial level.
That will be an important occasion for us to reflect on
the remarkable journey that our two great democracies have
embarked upon, and to set our sights on new milestones,"
Krishna said.
Roemer said the US Mission in India is ready to work
closely with all of you to take advantage of the "limitless
opportunities that arise everyday in India.
He strongly refuted reports that India has not been a
priority for Obama Administration.
In fact, he argued that there have been an incredible
amount of positive stories this past year as the US-India
bilateral relationship is now one of the good news stories of
the day.
"Actually, it is the good news story of the decade.
Perhaps that was on President Obama's mind when he referred to
it as the "indispensable partnership of the 21st century," he
noted. PTI