India, US wind up Strategic Dialogue on a high note

Washington: India and the United States wound up their first Strategic Dialogue today, pledging to deepen ties and committing to strengthen global legal regimes against terrorism. All this even as an Indian investigative team apparently twiddles its thumb in Chicago trying to gain access to one the masterminds of the infamous 26/11 attacks on the city of Mumbai.

"Secretary of state Hillary Clinton and external affairs minister SM Krishna pledged to deepen people-to-people, business-to-business, and government-to-government linkages between the world's oldest and largest democracies, for the mutual benefit of both countries and for the promotion of global peace, stability, economic growth and prosperity.

Both recalled that the Indo-US partnership rests on the firm foundation of common ideals as well as security and economic interests", a joint statement issued after the conclusion of the talks said.

Sticking to his promise that he would drop by for dinner hosted by secretary Clinton for her Indian counterpart, US president Barack Obama said on the occasion that India was a ''rising and responsible global power'', and that ''...he firmly believed the relationship between the two countries will be a defining partnership in the 21st century.''

"The United States values our partnership not because of where India is on a map but because of what we share and where we can go together. India is indispensable to the future that we seek, a future of security and prosperity for all nations," Obama said in his address.

"That's why a third of my Cabinet has already visited India. That is why officials from across my administration are a part of this strategic dialogue. That's why I want to thank you for the progress that we've made together since prime minister (Manmohan) Singh's visit," he said.