United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said that the country's security is dependent on the success of its development aid. The battle against terrorism will never be won as long as hundreds of millions of young people grow up without prospects of work and a better life, she stressed.

Ms Clinton argued for a new approach to development aid. In the past, the US frequently dictated what other countries should do from afar, a strategy doomed to fail, she said. The new US development aid should be based on equal partnership.

On taking office, Ms Clinton promised to make development aid one of the spearheads of US foreign policy. Her budget for this purpose in the coming year is nine percent more than in 2009.

 Photo: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (ANP / EPA )