And we have a great commitment to our government-to-government relations, but we have an even greater commitment to our people-to-people ones. And we view them as absolutely central to the partnership and friendship between our countries.

The Foreign Relations Authorization Act for fiscal 2012, would repeal a 1960 law that established the center for cultural and technical interchange between East and West. U.S. Rep. Mazie Hirono said she has asked that language to repeal the law be removed from the bill.

On July 22, Assistant Secretary Stock will meet with Indonesian students and faculty at Bali State Polytechnic, where she will discuss opportunities for study in the United States. Through the Comprehensive Partnership, the Department of State supports increased engagement with U.S. community colleges.

Last year, the State Department said it needed 1,250 more positions to handle work in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Middle East, besides expanding public diplomacy and increasing foreign language training. But in this year's budget belatedly approved in April, lawmakers only provided enough money to fill jobs left vacant by attrition.

Ms. McHale emphasized the importance of engaging with Muslim nations, especially now during the anti-government upheaval in the Arab world. “In Egypt or Tunisia or in other places in the Middle East right now, they are not focused on al Qaeda. They are focused on the transition of their countries,” she said.

Often accused of ignoring religion as they craft foreign policy, the White House and State Department are trying to show that religion is a rising priority for U.S. diplomacy. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in Istanbul last week promoted a new U.S.-backed international agreement to protect freedom of speech and religion, an accord described by her department as a "landmark" change.

Education and exchange programs provide deep roots for the U.S.-India relationship. U.S.- India education cooperation enhances each country’s emphasis on building a knowledge society. These partnerships are critical to strengthening scholarship and research in each of our countries, improving and expanding access to a quality education, and developing greater mutual understanding.

Vibrant science and technology (S&T) enterprises form the basis of U.S.-India economic growth and strengthen our strategic partnership. While governments play a role in enabling joint S&T activities, active and innovative collaboration in S&T, health, and innovation relies on the efforts of businesses, scientists and institutions in both countries.