New Delhi: The US and Russia on Thursday extended their greetings to India on its Independence Day with US calling India a global power with which it has close ties and Russia saying New Delhi enjoys authority in the international arena. While talking about the "shared democratic values, strong people-to-people ties", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "The United States and India have enjoyed close ties of friendship since the US supported India’s independence 72 years ago."
He added, "Over the past two decades, our friendship has flourished into a strategic partnership, and we now cooperate on a range of important issues, from defence and counter-terrorism, to freedom of navigation and cutting-edge science, including space." Pompeo who was on a three-day India visit earlier in 2019 reiterated that "United States and India are great democracies, global powers, and good friends".
Russian President Vladimir Putin sent Independence day message to President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Putin in his letter said India "enjoys high authority in the international arena" and "Russian-Indian relations are dynamically developed in the spirit of special and privileged strategic partnership".
He said, the joint efforts of India and Russia "fully meets the interests of people of our countries and goes in line with the task of ensuring stability and security in Asia and the entire world".
PM Modi will be meeting Putin in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok in September for Eastern Economic Forum.
