A top US Senator has said, India plays a critical role in America's long-term national security interests in not only the region but also around the globe. <br/><br/>The observations were made by Senator Mark Warner, Co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus as his legislation seeking stronger defence ties with New Delhi was passed by the Senate. <br/><br/>The amendment asks the Pentagon to develop a strategy of defence cooperation between the US and India. <br/><br/>Warner said, the measure helps define the goals of that strategic partnership and the benefits of deepening US-India defence cooperation.<br/><br/>An amendment moved by Warner which sought stronger defence ties with India was passed by the Senate as part of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA) 2018. It was co-sponsored by Senators Ted Cruz and John Corning. <br/><br/>The US Senate has overwhelmingly approved the nearly 700 billion dollars defence spending bill for 2018 which seeks to develop a strategy for Indo-US defence cooperation and adopts a tough approach on Pakistan's action against terror outfits like the Haqqani network and the LeT.