'High time Obama Admin pushes for strategic ties with India'

From Lalit K Jha
Washington, Jul 20 (PTI) It is "high time" for the Obama
Administration to push for an important strategic partnership
with India, a leading American think tank said.
"This week’s Indo-US Strategic Dialogue provides a
springboard for further actions that strengthen bilateral
ties," said Patrick Christy, policy analyst of Foreign Policy
Analyst – a Washington-based think tank, said after Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton and her Indian counterpart S M
Krishna concluded the second India-US Strategic Dialogue in
Indian capital New Delhi.
"No doubt, Washington and New Delhi will face tests from
time to time, but that is the nature of special relationships
internationally. In the long term, however, the fundamentals
remain strong," he said, adding that both nations are bound
together by increasingly shared values.
Both the countries stand to reap "great benefits" from
further cooperation and it is therefore "high time for the
Obama administration to push this important strategic
partnership forward," Christy said.
Clinton's two-day visit, he said, gives the US and India
an important opportunity not only to enhance counterterrorism
ties, but also to begin the renewal and reinvigoration of
their partnership on a wide range of strategic issues.
In the aftermath of the recent Mumbai bombings, US's
message to India has not changed, he said, adding that Obama
offered full cooperation and support to "bring the
perpetrators of these terrible crimes to justice."
Accompanied by Director of National Intelligence James
Clapper and others, Clinton "rightly noted" in New Delhi that
this week’s meeting should further build upon collaborative
efforts to improve India’s national and homeland security.
"Indeed, Indo-US counterterrorism cooperation has shown itself
to be a robust area for continuing bilateral engagement,"
Christy noted.
The policy analyst said counterterrorism cooperation is
not the only one area in which Indo-US ties has thickened.
Despite temporary setbacks and momentary disappointments,
the US-Indian strategic partnership remains strong, he said,
adding that bilateral trade and investments are growing in
wide-ranging sectors like biotechnology, energy and
infrastructure.
"India recently signed its biggest defense deal with the
United States so far—a USD 4.1 billion contract to procure ten
C-17 airlift aircrafts. And internationally, both countries
are continuing to work on a multitude of security issues
including Afghanistan, China, and Iran," he added.