Ties with India growing in a great direction: US

New Delhi, Feb 18 (PTI) The US today described India asone of the "growing engines" of world economy with an enviablegrowth rate and said the bilateral ties were progressing in a"great direction".

"Now we have India growing at 9 per cent per year. Thecountry is one of the growing engines of world economy," USAmbassador Timothy Roemer said addressing a function tocelebrate the American National Day.

Reflecting the growing convergence in the relationship,he said the ties between the two countries were progressingvery overwhelmingly as cooperation and collaborations arehappening in diverse areas.

"There is so much progress in the relationship in thelast few years...It is growing in a great direction," he said.

Roemer said that after appointing him as Ambassador ofIndia, President Barack Obama had asked him to "shake handswith the billion people in the country" and the piece ofadvice is "beginning to work".

Addressing the gathering at the Embassy, ForeignSecretary Nirupama Rao said "three successive US presidents inthis century had made vast personal contribution towardstransformation of India-US relationship."

"I had just returned from a very productive visit toUnited States. It underscored once again not just the qualityand level of India-US engagements but also unparallelledbreadth and diversity in our relationship," she said.

"The excitement and the energy in our relationship comesfrom the shared democratic values, the common celebration ofpluralism, the energy of our youths, the dynamism of our opensocieties, the power of innovation, the potential of oureconomic partnership, the growing conversion of our interestand responsibility of our shared commitment to global peaceand prosperity," she said.

Roemer said the National Day celebration has beenpreponed to February from July 4.