Obama puts seal on N-deal

Manmohan underlines Indo-US ties; terrorism, climate change figure in talks

Addressing a joint press conference with visiting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House following their summit talks, Obama said the nuclear deal would increase American exports to India and create more jobs in both the countries.

About the delay in the implementation of the deal, the prime minister stated “only some i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed”, which he said would happen very soon. India has been seeking nuclear reprocessing rights upfront — about which the US has some questions.

The summit talks — one-on-one and then at the delegation-level — lasted for over an hour. The two leaders said they discussed bilateral issues like the nuclear deal, cooperation in trade, education, health and agriculture and regional issues like Pakistan and Afghanistan, besides international issues such as nuclear disarmament, climate change, global economic situation, etc.

Reaching out to India on the issue of terrorism, Obama said the people of America remember the horrific attacks in Mumbai one year ago this week. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies of the two countries would work closely to prevent future terrorist attacks. The co-operation would include information-sharing, said Obama.

Obama described India as a “natural ally” with which the US has a strategic dialogue. The Indo-US partnership would be a defining partnership of the 21st century, he said.
Obama, who showered praise on Singh for his leadership qualities, however, did not fully address India’s concerns over US military aid to Pakistan. He merely said that the American engagement with Pakistan was now wider and not just confined to military ties.
President Obama shared with the prime minister the review his administration was currently undertaking on Afghanistan. This was significant as India has some concerns about the Obama administration’s proposals on Afghanistan.

‘Rising global power’

Saying that the US sought to broaden ties with India, the US President observed that India was today “a rising and responsible global power.” He welcomed the prime minister’s “support for the non-proliferation agenda that I laid out in Prague, and I look forward to India’s participation in our nuclear security summit next year, as well as India’s participation as a full partner in our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons.”

Ahead of the summit talks, Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama extended a ceremonial welcome to the prime minister and his wife at the White House. The ceremonial welcome was, however, curtailed due to a drizzle.