U.S. Welcomes India’s Prominent Role In World: White House

The U.S. welcomes a more prominent and effective role played by India on a wide range of global problems from climate change to maritime security, a top White House official has said.

Highlighting the distance covered between the two nations over the last eight years, he says the best is yet to come.

“We are handing over to the next team, a major defence partnership with India," he says highlighting the vibrant dimensions of the Indo-US relationship.

There has been growing convergence over risks, threats and opportunities over the past six years of the Obama administration says Lavoy.

“In part this convergence has come apart as we made monumental efforts to overcome specific areas of mistrust," he said, adding that over the years the two countries have built habits of co-operation in discussing the challenge they face.

Three regions where this co-operation has gained momentum are Afghanistan, Asia Pacific and Africa.

Maritime security is the key area of co-operation between the two countries.

Over the last few years, the US has significantly increased its consultations with India on their shared interest in Afghanistan.

India's role in the collective effort of bringing stability and prosperity to that war-torn Afghanistan, committing more than $2 billion in assistance is also not lost on the Obama administration.

The Commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan now regularly travels to New Delhi to exchange views with Indian leaders, he said.

Lavoy says it is fair to assume that the U.S. India defence relationship has matured more in the last eight years than any period in U.S. history.