U.S., India to promote cooperation, Clinton says

WASHINGTON, July 7 (Xinhua) -- The United States and India are seeking to promote bilateral cooperation over many issues of common concern, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said here on Tuesday.

"We are working hard with our Indian counterparts to create a very deep and broad strategic engagement," said Clinton, who is due to visit India next week.

"It is my hope that we'll be able to announce our intentions when I'm in India, and that we will be cooperating and working together across the broadest range of concerns that our two governments have ever engaged on."

Noting that "India is an emerging global power," the top U.S. Diplomat said that "I am very hopeful that the relationship between the United States and India, which has improved considerably over the last 15 years, continues on the path that we're on."

The relationship between Washington and New Delhi has been making headway in recent years when the two sides reached an agreement on civil nuclear cooperation in March 2006, under which India will get access to U.S. civil nuclear technology on condition that India is to separate nuclear facilities for civilian and military use and open its nuclear facilities for inspection.

The nuclear deal, considered a key part of U.S. President George W. Bush's foreign policy legacy, is designed to solidify Washington's relationship with a fast-emerging economic power.