Indo-US ties a defining 21st century partnership: Nirupama Rao

The former diplomat also acknowledges role of social media in deplomacy

Indo-US ties have liberated itself from the shackles of the past to become a defining 21st century partnership, former Indian Ambassador to the US Nirupama Rao has said, underlining the immense possibilities for bilateral cooperation in areas like defence, IT and space.

"I leave with the impression that this is a relationship of immense possibilities, and the record of achievement in the last few years for our strategic partnership encourages me to think on these lines. The bilateral partnership touches every field of human endeavour," Rao, who till early this month was India's top envoy in the United States, told PTI.

"The cooperation established in areas such as business and investment, the energy partnership, science and technology which includes cutting edge research, space cooperation and higher education impacts the lives of ordinary people in very beneficial ways," she said.

"Similarly, the defence technology initiative has the potential to impart greater strategic meaning and substance to the relationship. These are all areas of cooperation based on principles and pragmatism, underscoring the fact that this is very much a defining 21st century partnership which has essentially liberated itself from the shackles of the past," said Rao.

The former Indian Ambassador now been named Meera and Vikram Gandhi Fellow at the prestigious Brown University. Her appointment begins in January 2014.

Rao now plans to write a book focusing on how the advent of new media technologies is changing the way countries respond to policy-related situations.

Rao, possibly the only Indian diplomat to have more than 196,000 followers on Twitter, also acknowledged the role social media in diplomacy.

"The new communication and social media tools do have a place in diplomacy especially in defining the role of the citizen-diplomat who is responsive, alert, and ready to engage with the public in order to educate, enlighten and inform on foreign policy related questions and issues that need to be explained to the people," she said.