Observers have said that U. S. President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, once bitter rivals for the presidency, have hammered out a good working partnership.

The News York Times said Friday that however that relationship has not yet approached the tight bonds and easy access Clinton's predecessor, Condoleezza Rice, enjoyed with President George W. Bush.

With each saying the other was inexperienced in that area, in the 2008 campaign, Obama and Clinton traded barbs about each other's foreign policy credentials.

The president and his secretary of state are still working at creating an effective alliance, said David Rothkopf, a former Clinton administration official who has written about foreign policy.

Rothkopf said, "Hillary Clinton is the secretary of state. The question now is whether she becomes a real adviser, and whether he trusts her."

Clinton also expressed happiness over the partnership.

Clinton said in a recent interview, "We've developed, I think, a very good rapport, really positive back and forth about everything you can imagine. And we've had some interesting and even unusual experiences along the way."
(With Inputs from Agencies)