India welcomes Tillerson's statement

India on Friday said that it shared with the US commitment to a rule-based international order.

Two days after the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Beijing of undermining rules-based international order and sought greater India-US cooperation to counter China's hegemonic aspirations, New Delhi welcomed his statement.

A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) noted that the US Secretary of State had made a significant policy statement on India-US relations and its future.

"He (Tillerson) brought out its various strengths and highlighted our shared commitment to a rule-based international order, " said Raveesh Kumar, MEA spokesperson.

Kumar added that New Delhi appreciated his positive evaluation of the relationship and shared his optimism about its future directions.

Tillerson will visit New Delhi next week to meet External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. He will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"We look forward to welcoming him in India next week for detailed discussions on further strengthening of our partnership," said the MEA spokesperson.