Washington, Aug 17 (IANS): US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condoled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's death and praised his vision for famously characterising US-India ties as a "natural partnership of shared endeavours".

In a statement issued by the State Department on Thursday, Pompeo extended his heartfelt condolences to the people of India on losing Vajpayee.

Recounting the former Prime Minister's many contributions, the US statement said: "He championed tirelessly for his country's development and demonstrated a devotion to improving the lives of every Indian" leading it to become "a global and economic power".

"Standing before the US Congress in 2000, he famously characterised US-India ties as a 'natural partnership of shared endeavours'.

"He recognized early on that the US and India, based on their shared democratic values, could develop a partnership that would contribute to the economic prosperity and security of the region and the world.

"Today, our two countries and our bilateral relationship continue to benefit from Prime Minister Vajpayee's vision, which helped promote expanded cooperation."

Vajpayee, 93, passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on Thursday following a prolonged illness.