WASHINGTON, July 23: US President Bill Clinton has lauded India's success in developing a model civil society in the face of several constraints and called for deeper ties between the two nations to advance mutual security and prosperity.In a message to mark the 50th anniversary of the country's Independence, Clinton praised India's vibrant democracy as a ``model'' for other nations and peoples who are still striving to build civil societies, to institutionalise democratic values of free expression and religion, and to find strength in diversity. ``I am honoured to congratulate India on fifty years of Independence and to extend to citizens of this great nation the best wishes of all Americans for lasting peace, freedom and prosperity,'' Clinton said in a message published in the latest edition of Span commemorating the golden jubilee of India's freedom from the colonial yoke.Washington was interested in further deepening the existing bonds between two nations, Clinton said, in ways that advance the security and prosperity of our nations. He added that ``the recent economic reforms initiated by New Delhi have added an important new dimension to our bonds.''
