India,U.S. ties gaining in strength, says embassy official

The Indian government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been successful in strengthening New Delhi's ties with Washington inspite of the recent change of guard at the White House in January this year, said an officer of the Embassy of the United States here.

"The relations between India and United States are very good. In the last two years, we have seen all across, whether it is been people to people ties, or number of students. For instance, two years ago, a hundred thousand Indian students were in the United States, and today, it is hundred and sixty six thousand students. But, it is across all aspects, whether its defense, or whether its economic ties and people to people relationships, these ties are close and are getting closer," said Matthew K. Asada, First Secretary (Exchanges and Education) at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.

Asada was interacting with media on the sidelines of a visit to the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala, where he took part in a event to distribute scholarships to eligible young Tibetans.

Matthew said, "United States, like all these countries (China, Russia and Pakistan), is very interested in seeing a secure and stable Afghanistan and peace with its neighbours, and that's a shared objective that all of us have. I was in Afghanistan seven-eight years ago on an assignment, and there again, we are working to try to make it more secure, more developed and more democratic, responsive to its own people."

The regular exchange of high level political visits has also provided sustained momentum to bilateral cooperation, he said.

Earlier this week, a high-level U.S. congressional delegation also visited India under the leadership of Nancy Pelosi, the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives.