While addressing reporters, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke about the shared values that strengthen the India-US relationship.
"Like our own, India's democracy is powered by its free thinking citizens. We applaud that. We view Indian democracy as a force for good in defence of a free and open Indo-Pacific and a free and open world," he said.
"We talk about in our founding document, search for a more perfect union that means that we are not perfect. Our quest is to get closer to the ideals we set for ourselves. At times, the challenge is painful and ugly, but as democracies, we do it openly," he added.
While addressing reporters after holding exetnsive talks with India's foreign minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that the Quad or Quardrilateal Security Dialogue, is not a military alliance.
"What Quad is? It's quite simple but as important. Four like-minded countries coming together to work on some of the most important issues of time that are going to have real impact on the lives of the people and do in a way that ensures a free and open Indo-Pacific," Blinken said in New Delhi, according to ANI.
The Quad is a forum which includes US, India, Australia and Japan, but has been posited by China as the future "Asian NATO".
Rejecting that view, Blinken said, "Quad is not a military alliance. Its purpose is to advance cooperation on regional challenges while reinforcing international rules and values that we believe together underpin peace, proseparity, stability in the region."
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