Singh's admirers include Bush, Obama

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may have got on famously well with his predecessor, but he appears to have hit it off with US President Barack Obama too.

"People of India deeply love you", Singh had told then US president George W Bush at a time when he was becoming deeply unpopular in his own country.

Bush in turn had called Singh a wise leader whom he really liked.

Indo-US ties may have cooled somewhat since Obama took over the presidency nearly two years back but the current President also turns out to be an admirer of Singh.

"From our very first conversation in London, I have found that the Prime Minister and I share many of the same values, the same goals and the same vision for the well-being of our people," Obama told PTI.

Stating that he and his wife Michelle were both excited to go to India, Obama remarked, "one of the great joys of my visit to India is the opportunity to see the Prime Minister again."

Obama said, "Michelle and I were so pleased to host the Prime Minister and his wonderful wife (Gursharan Kaur) for our first State dinner (a year back)."

Singh and Obama have met several times since their first interaction about 20 months ago in London and Obama was responding to a question on his equation with Singh whom he will be meeting again in New Delhi next Monday.