In their first steps towards taking the Indo-US strategic partnership to a new level, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Barack Obama sought to consolidate gains rather than break new ground as they identified five core areas to carry forward what the US President called the “defining partnership of the 21st century.”

With the agreement on reprocessing US-origin nuclear fuel hitting a roadblock, the best takeaway for both sides was the ever-improving personal equation between the two leaders.

Obama referred to Singh as a “wise leader” and a person of “honesty and integrity”. “I respect him and I trust him,” said Obama. “And I have happily accepted his gracious invitation to visit India next year.”

The PM praised Obama’s leadership at the G-20 as major economies grappled with the economic crisis.

Seeking to make India a partner in his efforts on disarmament and non-proliferation, Obama referred to India as a “nuclear power” and hoped to build a partnership in this regard. “As nuclear powers, we can be full partners in preventing the spread of the world’s most deadly weapons, securing loose nuclear materials from terrorists, and pursuing our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons.”

This had a reflection in the issues on which India and US agreed. One of them was explicit support from India for an early start of negotiations on a multilateral, non-discriminatory and internationally verifiable Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty.

The two leaders agreed to consult each other regularly as Obama prepares for the Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010.

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