Praising India for playing an important role in international counter-piracy efforts, the US on Tuesday said it looks forward to working with the country on the issue.

"India played an important role (in international counter-piracy efforts). India is a major, major naval power. It's a major trading nation, and we greatly appreciate how India stepped up and stepped in to provide resources, energy," said Todd Chapman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs.

Chapman, who recently met an Indian delegation at the international Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) in Dubai, said, "We had a good exchange of information and views, and India's role is very important."

"When ships come off of the Coast of Somalia, many of them are going straight east, and they're transiting the Indian Ocean and going onto other parts of the world and, of course, going through Indian waters," he said

"So that's why I think it's so important that India did step up and play such a leading role, and we greatly appreciate that and look forward to working with India on this issue in the future," Chapman said.

The CGPCS, which has been in existence since 2009, is really a model of 21st century international partnership.

"We hope that we're going to be able to see these kinds of mechanisms work, perhaps, in other fields and other places," he said.

(dna)