LOC15:30
12:30 GMT
NEW DELHI, July 20 (KUNA) -- The US is watching India's growth with much
admiration and is betting on its future; it also has a pivotal role to play in
South and Central Asia in the 21st century, said the visiting US Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton in India's southern city of Chennai on Wednesday.
She was addressing students and a select group of opinion-makers at the
Anna Centenary Library. Clinton's address was televised live by TV channels.
Chennai is the capital city of India's southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Hillary is in India on a two-day official visit to attend the second round
of the Indo-US Strategic Dialogue. Today was the final day of her visit, the
second in past two years.
Making heaps of praises on India, she said: "We understand that much of the
history of 21st century will be written in Asia, and that much of the future
of Asia will be shaped by decisions not just by the Indian government but by
state governments across India and by its 1.3 billion people who live in this
country".
She added that the US vouched by India's growth potential. "We are betting
on India's future. That opening of India's markets to world will produce a
more prosperous India, and South Asia too. We are betting that India's vibrant
pluralistic society will inspire others to follow a similar path of tolerance.
We are making this bet not out of blind faith but because we have watched your
progress with great admiration".
Hillary further stated that because of its tremendous growth, India has
rightfully attained a place of prominence at the international fora. "India is
taking its rightful place in the conference rooms of the world where the most
consequential questions are debated and decided. President Obama has backed
India's bid for permanent membership of UN Security Council".
Hailing India's democratic structure, the US Secretary also stated that
India's Election Commission had set up a global standard for running free and
fair elections.
On Indo-US relations, she said that the bilateral ties would be "one of the
defining relationships of the 21st century".
Acknowledging differences between the two sides on a few issues, Hillary
said that the bonds between the two sides were so strong that they outweighed
the differences. "We will have differences from time to time as friends
sometimes do, but our bonds far outweigh our differences. We are both
committed to fighting terror".
She also advocated for a closer people-to-people relations between the two
nations. (end)
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KUNA 201530 Jul 11NNNN