奥巴马接待印总理辛格访问

音频下载[点击右键另存为]
President Barack Obama says the U.S. partnership with India will be one of the defining relationships of the 21st century.  Mr. Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to reporters after a two-hour meeting. 

The leaders of the world's oldest democracy and the world's largest pledged to work together to strengthen the global economy, curb climate change, limit the spread of nuclear weapons and fight terrorism.

Prime Minister Singh also said he has invited the president and his family to visit him in India next year.

"I have invited President Obama to visit India," he said. "A very warm welcome awaits him, his gracious wife and his two daughters."

Mr. Obama praised his visitor as an honest and wise man, and accepted his offer. "I have happily accepted his gracious invitation to visit India next year," said the president.

After their meeting, Mr. Obama said he and the Indian leader had agreed to "work even closer" to share information between their law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the fight against terrorism.

Mr. Singh promised to cooperate more closely with the U.S. to defeat terrorists. "The forces of terrorism in our region pose a grave threat to the entire civilized world, and have to be defeated," he said.

When questioned about the long-standing rivalry between India and Pakistan, Mr. Obama said it is not Washington's role to try to resolve the conflict from the outside.  But he said the U.S. can find ways to help.

"On the other hand, we want to be encouraging of ways in which both India and Pakistan can feel secure and focus on the development of their own countries and their people," said Mr. Obama.

The U.S. is India's largest trading partner, and the president paid tribute to India's large and growing economic role in Asia and throughout the world. 

Mr. Obama also said the two countries are natural allies, with much in common.

"We are the world's two largest democracies," he said.  "We have a range of shared values and ideals.  We are both entrepreneurial societies.  We are both multi-ethnic societies.  We are societies that believe in human rights and core freedoms that are enshrined in our founding documents."

The United States and India have disagreed on their commitments to reducing greenhouse gases, with the climate change summit taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark next month.  But Mr. Obama said the two leaders had moved a step closer to bridging the gap.

A formal dinner for Mr. Singh and his wife at the White House will conclude the state visit.