We are thick friends -Obama to manmohan singh

The United States President, Mr Barack Obama, speaking ahead of his meeting with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, said the US views India as a global player and a critical partner to help deal with the challenges of the 21st century.
“We (India and the US) have similar challenges,” the Prime Minister replied, flagging global terrorism as one of them.
Mr Obama said he had great admiration for Dr Singh and praised him for unleashing India’s economic potential as finance minister in the 1990s through bold economic reforms.
“I can call you my friend after this meeting,” Mr Obama told Dr Singh. In response, the Prime Minister said in the past five years, one of his “top priorities” had been to strengthen India’s strategic partnership with the United States.
Dr Singh also praised Mr Obama, saying “we have enormous respect and admiration for you and values you stand for.”
Mr Obama said he was looking forward to visiting India and Dr Singh said a warm welcome would await him in India.
Mr Obama and Dr Singh had their first face-to-face exchange of views when the US President walked up to the Prime Minister and spoke to him for about 10 minutes at the reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II for the G-20 leaders on Wednesday evening.
The conversation there was warm and very friendly, Indian officials said. The two leaders discussed global economic issues, with Mr Obama extremely interested to know Dr Singh’s views as an economist.
Mr Obama, addressing a press conference after his meeting with Dr Singh and some other leaders, said he had “extraordinarily valuable and productive discussions” on a range of issues with the leaders of India, Russia, China and the United Kingdom.
He said he wants a foreign policy that values listening to and cooperating with other nations.
Asked how his foreign policy differs from that of his predecessor, Mr George W. Bush,
Mr Obama said “we exercise our leadership best when we are listening” and when “we lead by example, when we show some element of humility.”
Referring to the discussions at the G-20 summit, he said there always will be “tough negotiations” on some issues. He said: “Sometimes we must walk away.” Mr Obama added that there will be real dangers in the world “that can’t always be talked through and must be addressed.”