U.S. believes India has capacity to become world power

Washington, June 5 (ANI): The U.S. believes India has the required institutional capacity to become a global power and sees a growing strategic convergence between the two nations, a top administration official has said ahead of next week's India-U.S. strategic dialogue.

Robert Blake, Obama Administration's point man for South and Central Asia, said the rapid strides made by the two sides in their ties over the last 10 years indicates that "sky is the limit" for the relationship between the two countries to grow, reports The News.

"It (India) does have the institutional capacity... that's why we invested so much of our time and energy to this relationship. The President has said this is going to be one of our defining partnerships of the 21st century and we believe that," Blake said.

"We believe it because there is growing strategic convergence between our two countries. We are two great democracies. We are two great market economies... and perhaps most of all we have capacity for innovation," Blake added.

"There is perhaps no country in the world, with whom we have travelled faster and further than India over the last 10 years," he further said.

The Indian American community, he noted, has played a crucial role in this.

"All of you are committed to shape and guide one of the defining bilateral relationships of the 21st century," he said, adding that the Indian American community is certainly one of the most energetic and successful diaspora groups in the U.S.

Over the last three years, he said, the two countries have expanded areas of cooperation to reflect 21st century needs, partnering across diverse areas such as education, clean-energy and defence. (ANI)