Pelosi invites Manmohan to address Congress
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to address the US Congress on his next visit here, as she thanked India for extending hospitality to Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
"We hope that you will come back soon again, and I extend an invitation for you to address a Joint Session of the Congress when you come back — about our strategic partnership and how we go into the future," Pelosi said in a joint press availability with Singh before their meeting here.
"Also I want to thank India for the hospitality it extends to His Holiness the Dalai Lama," she said, terming India a country that is based on values.
Pelosi said she looked forward to a conversation with the Prime Minister on how the US-India relationship can be strengthened as also to hear his views on "Afghanistan, Iran and fighting terrorism".
"As the Prime Minister has told us again on this trip, it is time for us to have a new dynamic while we talk about economies that recognise that alleviation of poverty is central to all of our success," she said.
"It is a sign of our friendship that the red carpet is being rolled out from the White House to the Capitol and in between to welcome this truly great man, perhaps one of the most respected leaders in the world," Pelosi said.
Pelosi, who travelled to India in March, said she had had conversation with Singh on issues like climate change, economy and about fighting terrorism and other issues of concern.
"It gave me the opportunity to once again express the admiration that Americans have for India, our close relationship with Reverend Martin Luther King, taking his lead from Mahatma Gandhi in learning about non-violence and how it produced results," she said.
Referring to the "terrible loss in Mumbai" last year, Pelosi said: "We are gathered here to learn from that experience to see how we can work more closely together for the good of all the people of the world, in our country, and in India as well".
The Prime Minister said Pelosi is a living embodiment of the values and the ideals which inspire Mahatma Gandhi.
Singh said he hopes to give a "new meaning" and "trust" to the Indo-US strategic partnership during this visit.
"I know the important role that the Speaker of the House of Representatives plays in the body politic of this great country... so I am very happy to have the Madam's blessings and support in the task," he said.
The Prime Minister said he is in the US at the invitation of the President, to strengthen in every possible way the multi-faceted relationship developed over the years.
