Salman Khurshid congratulates Barack Obama on re-election as US President

NEW DELHI: Congratulating Barack Obama on his re-election as US President, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today said India and the United States share excellent relations and will continue to move forward.

Khurshid noted that both the countries had achieved "significant" accomplishments in the past one decade and would like to move forward.

Talking about the "good news" of re-election of Obama, Khurshid told reporters, "for the US and India, this is a very important signature of reassertion and celebration of their respective democracies."

He noted that it was a fiercely contested poll (between Obama and Mitt Romney) and it ended as a reassertion of democratic values.

"We have good memories about Obama's visit to India, especially the one in Parliament. India and the United States will continue to move forward. There are areas of cooperation like security where we have common concerns," he said.

On the leadership change in China, he said India was "watching closely" the developments in the neighbouring country which has successful "scientific" system of generational change in leadership.

"We look forward to a meaningful, sustainable dialogue and relationship with China," he said.

Queried about UN sanctions against the Haqqani terror network, he said India's concerns regarding operations of such groups has been "very clear" and this step was "logical".

Talking about the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) which he attended, Khurshid said the deliberations were fruitful.

On Purilia arms drop case main accused Kim Davy's extradition, the minister said he had raised the issue with Denmark Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt during his meeting with him in Laos during ASEM meeting.

Thorning-Schmidt informed him that they would undertake further techno-legal examination of India's request for extradition of Davy and initiate discussions on that basis, he said.