Bush for better energy ties with India

Signalling a new warmth in bilateral ties, President George W Bush today said the US held India as a "global power" and wanted to work together for mutual economic benefit and cooperate in the civilian nuclear and other energy sectors.

During the 30-minute meeting with External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh at the Oval office, Bush said the US regarded India as a global power with which the Washington wanted to work very closely for the common good, for world peace and for mutual economic benefit.

Bush told Singh that India and the US needed to work together in the energy sector that would include co-operation in civilian nuclear energy.

Terming the Indo-US relations as the "best we have had for a very long time", Singh said India was interested in having a "much closer relationship" during Bush's second term in office.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran said Bush told Singh that he was looking forward to his trip to India, hopefully within this year.

The US President said he "very much looks forward" to receiving Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Washington in the near future. Bush said he was "extremely excited" and "pleased" with the state of Indo-US relations. Saran described the meeting extremely warm, friendly and very productive.

Terming India as a "flourishing democracy", the President said he was going to use the next four years of his second term to further strengthen these relations to take them to a "much higher level."

The two leaders also spoke about the affinity that exists between the two countries as democracies, their commitment to democratic values and how this provides an excellent foundation for taking their relationship forward.

The US side included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, the White House chief of staff and other key officials.

Singh was accompanied by Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen, Saran and others.

The very fact that it was a meeting in the Oval office and not a "drop in" signified the importance bush attached to the Indo-US ties, observers said.