Washington:
US President Barack Obama declared on Tuesday that American ties with India will be "one of the defining relationships" of the 21st century as he welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the first state visit of his administration. (
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At a joint press conference after discussions in the White House, President Obama and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reaffirmed their "full and complete" commitment to implementation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.
Obama also said the two leaders had agreed in morning talks to beef up cooperation on law enforcement and intelligence, climate change, education and other areas.
The President welcomed Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the White House by heaping praise on him as the leader of the largest democracy in the globe. Obama announced that he had accepted Singh's invitation to go to India next year. (
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Manmohan Singh, who is the first foreign leader to be received as the state guest in the Obama administration, said that the President has reaffirmed that it is the common resolve of the two countries to implement the nuclear deal as early as possible.
"It is only a question of 'i's and 't's to be crossed. I am confident and I have the assurance of the President that this process will be over without much further loss of time," Singh said.
At the press conference, the US President Obama was quizzed about the tense relationship between India and Pakistan, to which he said it was not the role of the United States to intervene and solve such problems. He, however, said that America should do what it can to ensure that Pakistan and India both feel secure and able to focus on developing their own countries for their own people. (
Read: US not willing to play midwife role between India, Pakistan)
Noting that the United States was India's largest trading partner, Obama said broadening trade ties would help create much needed jobs in both countries as governments continue trying to stimulate recession-hit economies.
The Prime Minister, along with the Indian delegation, also attended a luncheon co-hosted by Vice President Joseph Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, at the US State Department.