`India has significant role to play in all major challenges`

Washington, Mar 6 (PTI) India has a significant role
to play in all major global challenges, a top Obama
Administration official has said.
"We think that India has a significant role to play on
virtually all of the major challenges that we face in this
century, from global economic dislocation to energy security,
climate change, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and
violent extremism," the Assistant Secretary of State for South
and Central Asia, Robert Blake, said.
In his remarks at the Johns Hopkins University's Model
UN Conference, Blake noted that India and the US have followed
different path at the United Nations in the past; but now the
two countries are having a convergence of interest.
"Given India's history as a leading non-aligned
movement nation, we have sometimes been at odds in the United
Nations and India has opposed UN involvement on sensitive
matters such as Kashmir," he said.
"Nonetheless, with our national interests converging,
we hope to find more common ground with India in the coming
years.
Moreover, India is one of several countries seeking a
permanent seat on the UN Security Council, underlining the
importance it attaches to the United Nations," Blake said.
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