India-US partnership never mattered more: John Kerry

Asserting that India-US partnership "has never mattered more," US Secretary of State John Kerry has spoken of the possibilities of a shared future that the two countries will shape together.

In a message of greetings on behalf of President Barack Obama and the people of the US, he noted that "when more than half a billion Indian men and women went to the polls last spring, you were a part of the largest democratic exercise in human history."

"You showed the world how a diverse people, comprised of citizens from different faiths, speaking many different languages, can determine a common future."

"And you demonstrated once again the power of India's example and the power of the core values connecting our two peoples," he said.

Kerry said he "saw first-hand India's dynamism and the vital importance of deepening the ties between our nations when I travelled to New Delhi last month for our 5th annual Strategic Dialogue."

\The top US diplomat recalled he "met students, researchers, and professors at the Indian Institute of Technology who were developing clean energy technologies."

He also "spoke with Indian business leaders about opportunities for American companies to participate in India's economic revitalization."

With other Obama Administration officials, kerry "held a series of in-depth conversations with our Indian counterparts on issues from security, to energy, to educational exchange."

"On each of those issues, and in all my conversations, this truth was crystal clear: our partnership has never mattered more," Kerry said.

"In this century India and the United States have a common responsibility: to prove that democracies can deliver for their citizens," he said

"With the shared prosperity we create for one another and for the world, we can prove to the world the power of our shared ideals," Kerry said.

"As India celebrates Independence Day, we celebrate with you," he said. "We reflect upon the possibilities of the shared future that India and the United States will shape together."

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)