President Barack Obama has said though the United States remains the military superpower and has the largest economy, countries like India, China and Brazil are fast catching up and growing at a pace which is much faster than in the past.

"In terms of the US's role in the world, obviously, we remain a military superpower. We still have the largest economy in the world. But the world is becoming more integrated," Obama told the Itar-Tass/Rossiya TV in an interview.

"You've got countries like China and India and Brazil that are much more developed and growing much more quickly than in the past," he said.

The President said, "The United States has to recognise that our role is not to dictate policy around the world, but to be a partner with other countries around the world and find those areas of mutual concern and agreement that are so important."

A great example of this is the issue of climate change, he observed. This is an issue that could have profound impacts on both the United States and on Russia. "If the permafrost in Russia completely melts, it could completely transform the weather patterns on the planet, in some cases in very dangerous ways" he said.

Noting that no country can alone solve this problem, Obama said: "The United States has to take steps; China has to take steps; Russia has to take steps; India has to take steps."

Obama hoped that the US's role in the new world will be to help convene and moderate negotiations that lead the international community to move in a direction that's good for all people and not just for a few.