Contending that India's role in the world will only grow in the 21st century, a top US official has said it was "no coincidence" that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was President Barack Obama's first state guest who will arrive here "at a moment of great opportunity".

Few relationships will matter more to the course of human events in 21st century than the Indo-US partnership, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Bill Burns said here, as Washington gears up to host Singh next week.

"India has an increasingly significant role to play on virtually all of the major challenges of this new century -- from global economic dislocation to energy security, climate change, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and violent extremism," Burns said in his address at the think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"Its role in Asia, already significant, will only grow in the years ahead, and India will be an increasingly valuable partner in the historic effort to, as President Obama put it, cultivate spheres of cooperation throughout Asia," he said.

He said a rising India was an "essential part" of the peaceful and prosperous world that US seeks, and the Indo-US partnership was an "essential ingredient" for it, adding the possibility of strengthening the ties awaits Singh here.

"It is no coincidence that the first state visit in the Obama Presidency will come from India, and Prime Minister Singh will arrive in Washington next week at a moment of great opportunity," he said.

"India, as all of you know very well, is a rising global power, soon to be the world's most populous country, with a trillion dollar-plus economy.

... contd.