Manmohan invites Obama to India, hopes for stronger ties

July 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Wednesday paid fulsome tribute to his predecessor Atal Bihari's Vajpayee's vision, saying "he took a decision of political courage to visit Lahore in 1999". In the course of his reply in the Lok Sabha to the debate on India-Pakistan ties, Manmohan singh invoked Vajpayee's name to make the point that it required statesmanship to make bold decisions that often changed the course of history.

July 7th, 2009 ROME - India Tuesday said its ties with the US were "progressing well". "India-US relations are progressing well.

June 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Reiterating its "deep commitment" to build stronger ties with India, the US Thursday said it looked forward to working with the new Indian government to make its vision of shaping the 21st century together a reality. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "have both expressed a deep commitment to build stronger ties with India, a commitment based on mutual respect and mutual interest", the new US pointman for South Asia told a panel of the House of Representatives.

June 17th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Wednesday declared that the Obama administration was "clearly committed to furthering and deepening relationship with India in every way possible". Setting at rest speculation that unlike the previous Bush administration, President Barack Obama was ignoring New Delhi, she said both Obama and she herself were committed to build stronger ties with India.

June 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - US President Barack Obama is committed to broadening and deepening relations with India, according to a letter from him given Thursday to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. US Undersecretary of State William Burns handed over the communication from Obama to the prime minister.

May 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - US President Barack Obama Saturday telephoned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to congratulate him on his victory in the general elections and hoped for a continuity in the India-US strategic partnership, an official said. Manmohan Singh reiterated his invitation to Michelle and Barack Obama to visit India, a key aide to the prime minister said.

May 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - India hopes Pakistan would cooperate with it 'on all matters', Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Friday soon after taking oath of office for his second term. 'Terrorism is a problem everywhere.

May 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Underlining global confidence in India's growing stature, French President Nicolas Sarkozy Friday warmly congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his re-election and invited him to Paris as chief guest on France's national day July 14. 'Through the elections which were recently concluded and which constitute a remarkable testimony to their attachment to democracy, the Indian people have chosen to repose once again their trust in the representatives of the Congress Party and the alliance that it leads,' Sarkozy said in his message to Manmohan Singh.

May 21st, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama considers Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh a 'very wise leader' whom he respects and is looking forward to visiting India soon. Obama conveyed these sentiments to the new Indian ambassador to the US, Meera Shankar, as she presented her credentials at a ceremony at the White House Wednesday.

May 20th, 2009 NEW DELHI - President Pratibha Patil Wednesday invited Manmohan Singh to be the next prime minister of India and asked him to advise her on the council of ministers. Claiming the support of 322 MPs, Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi had staked claim to form the next government at a meeting with the president.

April 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Friday US President Barack Obama had told him that he was keen to visit India early with his entire family and build on the improving relationship with this country. In his interaction with women journalists Friday, Manmohan Singh spoke about his meeting with the US president on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in London last week.

April 2nd, 2009 LONDON - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh meets with US President Barack Obama later Thursday in the first engagement between the two leaders. The two are here to attend the G20 summit.

March 7th, 2009 WASHINGTON - The US says it considers India as a strategic partner, as well as an economic partner and sees their relations 'growing and becoming stronger,' under the administration of President Barack Obama. 'I don't see the US-India relation doing anything but growing and becoming stronger, no matter who the next ambassador is,' State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid told reporters Friday when asked how relations would shape up with the return of David Mulford, a Bush appointee.

January 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama looks at United States and India as 'natural allies' and is keen to strengthen and deepen their ties built over the years. 'Without getting into a lot of specifics, I think that the President believes that, obviously, the US and India are natural friends and natural allies,' Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters at the White House Wednesday.

January 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - With President Barack Obama seeing US and India as 'natural allies', he is now looking forward to speak to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as soon as he gets well. 'I think the President would like to certainly express and extend his best wishes to the Prime Minister, as he recovers from surgery, and looks forward to talking to him soon,' Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters at the White House Wednesday.