India a thriving democracy: Obama

UNITED NATIONS: Ahead of his landmark visit in early November, President Barack Obama on Thursday described India as a "thriving democracy" which peacefully overthrew colonialism.

"I will visit India, which peacefully threw off colonialism and established a thriving democracy of over a billion people," Obama told world leaders at the annual debate of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Underlining the importance of democracy, Obama said there is no right more fundamental than the ability to choose your leaders and determine your destiny.

"Make no mistake: the ultimate success of democracy in the world won't come because the United States dictates it; it will come because individual citizens demand a say in how they are governed," he said, while addressing the annual session of the UN General Assembly.

Noting that democracy reflected the "uniqueness" of a country, Obama also praised state of democracy in Indonesia where he plans to visit in November.

"I will continue to Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority country, which binds together thousands of islands through the glue of representative government and civil society," he added.

Turning to the Middle East, Obama pointed out that the conflict between Israelis and Arabs was as old as the UN, and the international community could turn up the next year at the same debate and make the same speeches.

"Or, we can say that this time will be different - that this time we will not let terror, or turbulence, or posturing, or petty politics stand in the way," he said.

"If we do, when we come back here next year, we can have an agreement that will lead to a new member of the United Nations - an independent, sovereign state of Palestine, living in peace with Israel."

On the issue of Iran's nuclear programme, Obama said that the doors of diplomacy were open and urged Iran to walk through it and seek a resolution.

"But the Iranian government must demonstrate a clear and credible commitment, and confirm to the world the peaceful intent of its nuclear programme," he said.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to speak later on Thursday.

Turning to the problem of al-Qaeda, Obama said that while the US was drawing down in Iraq, it was shifting all its focus on Afghanistan and battling the terrorists and militants who had sought refuge in its wild terrain.