Obama trip to elevate Indo-US partnership to new level:Clinton

Washington, Oct 29 (PTI) Asserting that India is a key
player in East Asia and on the global stage, Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton on Friday said that President Barack
Obama's upcoming visit to India would elevate the Indo-US
relationship to an altogether new level.
"His (Obama's) trip will bring together two of our top
priorities – renewed American leadership in Asia and a
US-India partnership that is elevated to an entirely new
level," she said in her major Asia policy speech in Honolulu
in Hawaii at the start of her nearly two week trip to Asia-
Pacific region that would take her to half-a-dozen countries.
"This year, we launched the US-India Strategic Dialogue.
And one of the core issues we addressed is India's growing
engagement and integration into East Asia, because we believe
that India is a key player in this region and on the global
stage. That's why President Obama is also beginning his own
major trip to Asia next week with a stop in India," Clinton
said.
While Clinton would be travelling in the Asia Pacific
region, Obama during the same time would be visiting the four
key democratic countries of Asia – India, Indonesia, S Korea
and Japan from November 5 to November 14.
"In a crowded field of highly dynamic, increasingly
influential emerging nations, two, of course, stand out –
India and China. Their simultaneous rise is reshaping the
world and our ability to cooperate effectively with these two
countries will be a critical test of our leadership,"she said.
"With growing ties between our governments, our
economies and our peoples, India and the US have never
mattered more to each other. As the world's two largest
democracies, we are united by common interests and common
values," she said.
Clinton said the US is expanding its work with the
Indian navy in the Pacific. "Because we understand how
important the Indo-Pacific basin is to global trade and
commerce," she explained.
In a video message to Indian-Americans, Clinton said
that the Governments of the US and India opened a Strategic
Dialogue to advance their cooperation on some of the toughest
challenges the two they face -- including improving global
health, developing sources of renewable energy, educating more
children, and empowering people to improve their own lives.
"But we know that governments alone cannot solve any
of these problems. We need ideas, and help, from people like
you. That's why the connections you are forming today are so
important. Your leadership in classrooms, board rooms, and
governments across the US -- along with your connection to
communities in India - gives you invaluable insights that can
benefit all of us," she said in her message.
"I hope that by sharing your ideas with one another,
you can identify new and creative ways to deliver results that
will make a difference in the lives of people and communities
in India and around the world," she said.