India sees US as a partner of choice: Top US Senator

WASHINGTON: Several countries across the world including India see United States as a partner of choice after America's successes in Afghanistan, a top US Senator has said.

"Afghanistan's success creates a powerful argument that the US is the partner of choice in the world. We are the partner of choice. And we're actually seeing that in some interesting places in the world today," Senator Tim Kaine, said yesterday during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan.

"India which has had a tradition of non-alignment or even tilting toward Russia, now does more military exercises with the United States than with any other nation.

They are seeing us, whether it's joint exercises or training or purchase of military platforms, as a partner of choice," Kaine said.

Mexico has had a military tradition of leaning a little bit toward Russia. But they are now viewing the US Military as their partner of choice, he said.

"I think success in Afghanistan, we've got make it conditions-based.

We've got stay and harvest the value of the success because every day we are showing that the United States is the partner of choice," he said.