Obama trip to elevate Indo-US partnership to new level: Hillary Clinton

Asserting that India is a key player in East Asia and on the global stage, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton today said that President Barack Obama's upcoming visit to India would elevate the Indo-US relationship to an altogether new level.

"His (Obama's) trip will bring together two of our top priorities, renewed American leadership in Asia and a US-India partnership that is elevated to an entirely new level," she said in her major Asia policy speech in Honolulu in Hawaii at the start of her nearly two week trip to Asia-Pacific region that would take her to half-a-dozen countries.

"This year, we launched the US-India strategic dialogue. And one of the core issues we addressed is India's growing engagement and integration into East Asia, because we believe that India is a key player in this region and on the global stage. That's why President Obama is also beginning his own major trip to Asia next week with a stop in India," Clinton said.

While Clinton would be travelling in the Asia Pacific region, Obama during the same time would be visiting the four key democratic countries of Asia, India, Indonesia, S Korea and Japan from November 5 to November 14.

"In a crowded field of highly dynamic, increasingly influential emerging nations, two, of course, stand out, India and China. Their simultaneous rise is reshaping the world and our ability to cooperate effectively with these two countries will be a critical test of our leadership," she said.

"With growing ties between our governments, our economies and our peoples, India and the US have never mattered more to each other. As the world's two largest democracies, we are united by common interests and common values," she said.

Clinton said the US is expanding its work with the Indian navy in the Pacific. "Because we understand how important the Indo-Pacific basin is to global trade and commerce," she explained.

In a video message to Indian-Americans, Clinton said that the governments of the US and India opened a strategic dialogue to advance their cooperation on some of the toughest challenges the two they face -- including improving global health, developing sources of renewable energy, educating more children, and empowering people to improve their own lives.

"But we know that governments alone cannot solve any of these problems. We need ideas, and help, from people like you. That's why the connections you are forming today are so important. Your leadership in classrooms, board rooms, and governments across the US -- along with your connection to communities in India - gives you invaluable insights that can benefit all of us," she said in her message.

"I hope that by sharing your ideas with one another, you can identify new and creative ways to deliver results that will make a difference in the lives of people and communities in India and around the world," she said.