Washington, Jan. 26: As India gets set to celebrate its 60th Republic Day on Monday; U. S. President Barack Obama termed it a natural ally of his country, and added that the Indians have no better friend and partner than the people of the United States.

"As the Indian people celebrate Republic Day all across India, they should know that they have no better friend and partner than the people of the United States. It is our shared values that form the bedrock of a robust relationship across peoples and governments," said Obama in his message.

"Those values and ideals provide the strength that enables us to meet any challenge, particularly from those who use violence to try to undermine our free and open societies. I send the warmest greetings of the American people to the people of India. Together, we celebrate our shared belief in democracy, liberty, pluralism, and religious tolerance," he further added.

"Our rapidly growing and deepening friendship with India offers benefits to all the world''s citizens as our scientists solve environmental challenges together, our doctors discover new medicines, our engineers advance our societies, our entrepreneurs generate prosperity, our educators lay the foundation for our future generations, and our governments work together to advance peace, prosperity, and stability around the globe," his message concluded. (ANI)