US President Mr Barack Obama’s India visit has taken the relationship between the two nations to a new level and highlighted their growing co-operation, a top Obama administration official has said.
"Prime minister (Manmohan) Singh and President Obama really took relations between our two countries to a new level and highlighted the growing cooperation between the United States and India at all levels," assistant secretary of state for south and Central Asia, Mr Robert Blake said on Monday.
"President Obama and Prime Minister Singh took substantive and significant steps to expand and strengthen the US-India strategic partnership. The two leaders affirmed that the US-India relationship is indeed an indispensable partnership for the 21st century," he said.
Mr Blake said the two leaders resolved to intensify cooperation to promote a secure and stable world, advance technology-sharing and innovation, expand mutual prosperity and global economic growth, exercise global leadership in support of economic development, open government and democratic values.
He said the big headline-maker was the President's endorsement in his Parliament speech of a reformed United Nations that includes India as a permanent member.
"The two leaders also agreed that US and Indian delegations in New York should intensify engagement as India joins the UN security council in January for a two-year term," Mr Blake said.
To illustrate global partnership on non-proliferation, the US and India decided to take mutual steps to expand cooperation in civil space, defence and other high-technology sectors, he said adding that the US removed the remaining Indian space and defence entities from the its Entity List.
"The US agreed to support India's full membership in the four multilateral export-control regimes — the Nuclear suppliers group, the missile technology control regime, the Australia group and the Wassenaar arrangement — and to do so in a phased manner as India takes steps towards full adoption of the regime core requirements,"
Mr Blake said.
The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding that provides a general framework for cooperation in connection with India's global center for nuclear energy partnership, which India announced during the 2010 global nuclear security summit in Washington.
"We intend to give priority to discussion of best practices on the security of nuclear material and facilities, on development of international nuclear security training curricula and programs and joint outreach on nuclear security issues to our respective nuclear industries," Mr Blake said.
He said both sides also completed the government pieces of the civil-nuclear deal, opening way for US companies to compete to supply billions of dollars worth of civil nuclear reactors for India's growing energy market.
Noting that Dr Singh committed India to ratify the convention on supplementary compensation within the coming year and to ensure a level playing field for US companies, Mr Blake said, US firms have already begun negotiations with their Indian counterparts.
On the economic side, the official said the visit helped to highlight the growing and balanced trade and investment ties between the two countries.
Commercial deals were announced exceeding $14.9 billion in total value, with $9.5 billion in US export content supporting an estimated 53,000 US jobs.
Mr Blake said on the foreign policy side, an important focus was Pakistan as Mr Obama welcomed dialogue between India and Pakistan and highlighted their shared interest in reducing tensions between the two South Asian neighbours, and in a stable and more prosperous Pakistan.
"President Obama praised Prime Minister Singh's efforts to reduce tensions, stating that he is the — sincere and relentless in his desire for peace. The joint statement also called for action against the Mumbai perpetrators, as well as for the defeat of all terrorist networks, including Lashkar-e-Tayyaba," he said.
"With respect to Afghanistan, the two leaders agreed to pursue joint development projects in agriculture and women's empowerment," Blake added.