WASHINGTON (PTI): The friendship between India and the US has flourished into a strategic partnership in the last two decades and the two countries now cooperate on many important issues from defence and counter-terrorism to freedom of navigation, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said.

Greeting the people of India on the eve of the country's 73rd Independence Day, Pompeo said the shared democratic values of the two nations, strong people-to-people ties and commitment to economic growth had further cemented the relationship.

"Over the past two decades, our friendship has flourished into a strategic partnership and we now cooperate on a range of important issues, from defence and counter-terrorism, to freedom of navigation and cutting-edge science, including in space," Pompeo said in a statement.

"As I said during my recent visit to India, the United States and India are great democracies, global powers, and good friends. I wish the people of India a joyful Independence Day," he said.

During his visit to India in June, Pompeo also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi who outlined his vision for the Indo-US strategic partnership in the new tenure of his government.

The prime minister expressed his strong commitment to achieve the full potential of bilateral relations in trade and economy, energy, defence, counter-terrorism and people- to-people contacts.

Pompeo expressed the US government's continued interest in building stronger relations with India and working together to realise the shared vision and goals.