India-U.S. share strong commitment for peace in Afghanistan: John Kerry

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Thursday said that Washington and New Delhi share a strong commitment for peace in Afghanistan.

"We are going to talk about our shared interests and enhancing economic integration in the region, our commitment to a secure, stable and prosperous Afghanistan and our support for India's regional leadership. This is a critical, ongoing conversation between the United States and India. Its one that demonstrates our firm belief that a strong India is in America's national interests," said Kerry ahead of his India visit," said Kerry.

"The United States not only welcomes India as a rising power, we fervently support it and that's why President Obama and I support India's inclusion as a permanent member of a reformed and expanded United Nations Security Council," he added.

Kerry said 'today the U.S. and India collaborate closely in almost every field of human endeavour'.

"Together we are tackling shared challenges and making the most of new opportunities, from higher education to clean energy, from counter-terrorism to space science. We are seizing new opportunities to work together and in doing so we are increasing the prosperity and security of both of our people," he added

Kerry, who will arrive in New Delhi on Sunday for the fourth US-India strategic dialogue, said that he looks forward to visiting India in the coming days.

"I will be leading the U.S. delegation to the 4th US-India strategic dialogue. Our collaboration has never been more important than it is today. President Obama has said the friendship between our two nations is one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century. Personally, I have seen that friendship come a long way in the last 20 years," he said.

Kerry during his New Delhi visit will also open the second annual U.S.-India Higher Education Dialogue, deliver a policy speech on bilateral and regional issues, and meet with young leaders and innovators at an event highlighting U.S.-India cooperation on clean energy, climate change, science and technology, and poverty alleviation.

The visit is also expected to lay the groundwork for Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's meeting with President Barack Obama later this year.

The Strategic Dialogue, inaugurated in 2009, is a forum for discussing the full range of U.S-India cooperation on bilateral and regional issues, reflecting the strong strategic partnership between our countries. Topics for discussion will include bilateral and regional economic engagement, regional security and defense, science and technology, climate change, and other global issues such as women's empowerment, non-proliferation and space cooperation.