Cameron Lauds India's Success On I-Day

London: British Prime Minister David Cameron congratulated India on its 67th Independence Day and praised "vibrancy of its democracy, the strength of its diversity and the power of its economy."

In an exclusive article published by Asian Lite newspaper, Cameron said he wants to strengthen the relationship between the "world's oldest democracy and its largest."

"Our two nations have a special relationship: a long standing one between the world's oldest democracy and its largest," Cameron said. "Ours is not a friendship based just on diplomacy and protocol, but one nurtured through shared culture and experience. And as we look to the future, I want those bonds to be strengthened further still. In the tough world of today we face many daunting challenges but together we are far better to overcome them. For all we have achieved already, the best is yet to come."

The Conservative Party leader, who led the largest business delegation ever visited to India, said he is proud of Britain's close bond with India.

"I am proud of Britain's close bond with India - and I'm delighted to have this opportunity to mark Independence Day," Cameron wrote. "When I visited India earlier this year a number of things struck me: the vibrancy of its democracy, the strength of its diversity and the power of its economy. It was a trip full of memories that I will treasure forever: playing cricket in the famous Maidan in Mumbai, visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar and - of course - meeting Bollywood hero Aamir Khan in Delhi. Above all, the trip taught me this: sixty six years on from India's independence, the relationship between our two countries has never been stronger."