"We have embarked upon building a global strategic partnership with India. President (George W Bush [Images]) will be travelling to India in the coming weeks to continue a strong, forward looking relationship with this rising global power,"

Boucher said in prepared remarks to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at his confirmation hearing as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia.

The India-US nuclear tango

Boucher, the former state department spokesman and a career foreign service officer, stressed that upon confirmation he will work closely with other agencies and organisations "to bring to fruition" the initiatives Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] have undertaken.

"The wide ranging nature of these projects clearly illustrates the kind of encompassing relationship we hope to develop with India. Opening new areas to economic cooperation and concluding a civilian nuclear partnership are two of the most important areas at this moment," he said.

"Beyond that we need to look at all the areas where our international interests intersect with those of India and where we can advance our interests by partnering with India in this region and beyond. Some areas that spring to mind are agriculture, democracy building, disaster relief, education and science and technology," he added.