Mounting pressure on Pakistan, the US joined India in underscoring the "absolute imperative" to bring to justice the perpetrators of Mumbai attacks and underlining the need for "resolute and credible steps" to eliminate "safe havens" in Pakistan and Afghanistan which undermine the security and stability around the world.

Setting out to launch a "new phase" in their strategic partnership, India and the US vowed to redouble their efforts to deal effectively with terrorism and in this regard signed an MoU to enhance cooperation particularly in information sharing and capacity building.

During their 90-minute meeting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Barack Obama agreed to step up cooperation and collaboration on pressing global challenges like terrorism and climate change and decided to take new bilateral initiatives in education, healthcare and agriculture sectors.

The two sides launched 'Singh-Obama 21st Century Knowledge Initiative' to increase university linkages and agreed to expand the Fulbright-Nehru programme. It was also decided that a Regional Global Disease Detection Centre would be set up in India as part of enhancing collaboration in the field of healthcare.

An initiative in clean energy and climate change was also announced.

Singh and Obama noted that the India-US partnership is indispensable for global peace and security and the US President said his country looked forward to a "stable and prosperous India playing an increasingly important role in world affairs."

He said the Indo-US ties would be the "defining relationship" in the 21st century.

Meeting two days ahead of the first anniversary of Mumbai attacks, the two leaders discussed the progress in case amid India's disappointment over the lack of "sincerity" and "urgency" by Pakistan in prosecuting those held in this connection.

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