Ties with US foremost priority: Krishna tells Obama

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Jun 4 (PTI) India considers its
relationship with the US as a top foreign policy priority as
the partnership is destined to have a strong impact on global
stability, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna told
President Barack Obama on Friday.
"Mr President, we consider the mutually beneficial
relationship with the United States to be one of our foremost
foreign policy priorities," Krishna said in his remarks at a
reception hosted by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in his
honour.
In a rare gesture, Obama also attended the reception
for Krishna, ignoring protocols.
"There are few relationships in the world that have so
much potential as India-US relations, because I believe that
our cooperation is not only for mutual benefit, but is
destined to have a strong impact on global peace, prosperity
and stability in the 21st century," he said.
Describing his meetings with US officials here as
"very productive meetings," Krishna said during the Strategic
Dialogue the two sides reviewed progress in all areas of
ongoing cooperation, while discussing the vision and "road
map" for the future.
"We also discussed how we would work together to
realise the immense potential of our cooperation across the
spectrum of human endeavours from strategic cooperation to
sustainable growth and economic and developmental partnerships
to achieve real benefits for our peoples, and for the world,"
he said.
Krishna said India looks forward to a stable and
prosperous future for the Asia-Pacific region defined by
cooperation, openness and inclusion, as a peaceful and stable
South Asia is critical for India's development and security.
"Mr President, we are pleased that you, with your deep
personal links with the Asia-Pacific region, are taking strong
interest in the future of this rapidly evolving region," he
said.
"We believe that India can be a dependable anchor of
the region's growth," Krishna asserted.
Referring to Afghanistan, Krishna said India is
committed to that country's development and supporting the
Afghan people in their efforts to build capacity and assume
the rightful responsibilities for governance, security and
development.
"With international support, they will succeed in
their efforts," he said.
Earlier at a joint press availability with Clinton at
the State Department, Krishna noted that there are few
relationships in the world that have so much potential as
India-US relations.(MORE) PTI LKJ
MRD


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