Focusing on five key areas, including security cooperation and trade, US secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Wednesday said India and the United States are moving to forge a new and more mature phase of ties, as the third Indo-US strategic dialogue kicked off here.
“The strategic fundamentals of our relationship, shared democratic values, economic imperatives and diplomatic priorities, are moving us closer to an understanding and a trust that reflects the convergence of values and interests,” Ms Clinton said in her remarks to the dialogue.
“As a result, under President Obama’s and Prime Minister Singh’s leadership, we are forging a new and more mature phase in our critical bilateral relationship, one defined by near-constant consultation aimed at advancing the interests and values we share and working through the inevitable differences,” Ms Clinton said.
“There is less need today for the dramatic breakthroughs that marked earlier phases, but more need for steady, focused cooperation,” she said, adding that this kind of weekly, sometimes daily collaboration is not always glamorous, but it is strategically significant and it is exemplified by this dialogue.