White House terms India 'an incredibly important country' for US

Describing India as "an incredibly important country in the world", the White House has said US president Barack Obama will continue to enhance the depth of the country's relationship with New Delhi in his second term.

Obama will consider it a success if at the end of his second term India-US bilateral relationship is even stronger than at present, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters here on Thursday, while responding to a question about the future direction of US policy towards India and the Indian-American community which overwhelmingly supported Obama during the November presidential poll.

"The president's views have not changed, both on the importance and value of the Indian American community and the importance and value of the bilateral relationship that we have developed with India," Carney said.

Obama who has famously described India-US ties as "one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century" has at over a score more Indian-Americans in high places in his administration than any other previous president.

Taking up a similar refrain, Carney said Thursday, "India is an incredibly important country in the world, not just in the region, and the President looks forward to continuing to enhance the depth of our relationship to work together on common goals in the region and around the world."

"And I think you can expect in his second term that he will consider it a success if at the end of his second term that bilateral relationship is stronger even than it is today," Carney said.