US remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs:Obama

Washington, Jan 25: America remains the one indispensable nation in the world affairs and those who talk that its power is towards decline do not know what they are talking about, US President Barack Obama said.

"Yes, the world is changing; no, we can't control every event. But America remains the one indispensable nation in world affairs ?" and as long as I am President, I intend to keep it that way," Obama said in his State of the Union Address to the Congress.

In his nationally televised speech delivered at the Capitol Hill, Obama said the renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe.

"Our oldest alliances in Europe and Asia are stronger than ever. Our ties to the Americas are deeper. Our iron-clad commitment to Israel's security has meant the closest military cooperation between our two countries in history," he said.

"We have made it clear that America is a Pacific power, and a new beginning in Burma has lit a new hope. From the coalitions we have built to secure nuclear materials, to the missions we have led against hunger and disease; from the blows we have dealt to our enemies; to the enduring power of our moral example, America is back," Obama said.

"Anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline or that our influence has waned, doesn't know what they are talking about," Obama said in an apparent reference to the criticism to his foreign policy coming from Republican presidential candidates.

"That's not the message we get from leaders around the world, all of whom are eager to work with us. That's not how people feel from Tokyo to Berlin; from Cape Town to Rio; where opinions of America are higher than they have been in years," he said.

PTI