India greets US on its Independence Day

India and the US share values of democracy and their cooperation will be the "defining partnership" in the 21st century, President Pranab Mukherjee said Wednesday while wishing the government and citizens of the US on the eve of the country's Independence Day.

The US celebrates its 237th Independence Day July 4.

Mukherjee, in a message to President Barack Obama, said the occasion reminded him of the "shared values of democracy, pluralism, equality, liberty and rule of law that form the bedrock of the global strategic partnership between India and the United States of America".

"India shares the view that this relationship will be a defining partnership of the 21st century. We remain committed to working closely with the United States of America to realize this vision," he added.

"Our bilateral cooperation, in virtually every sphere of human endeavour, has been to the mutual benefit of both our peoples. Indeed, our strategic partnership contributes significantly to the global security and economic architecture," Mukherjee said in his message.