Obama looking forward to meeting PM

WASHINGTON: Ahead of his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the White House has said President Barack Obama greatly values Indo-US relationship and wants to "further advance the impressive partnership" the two countries have established in the last one decade.

Obama leaves on Tuesday to attend the G-20 summit in London on the sidelines of which he would be meeting Singh on April 2.

This would be Obama's first meeting with the PM after he was elected president last year, to which he is eagerly "looking forward to", the White House said.

"The president is looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Singh in London," Mike Hammer, spokesman of National Security Council, White House, told reporters.

"He greatly values the US-India relationship and wants to continue, build on, and advance further the impressive partnership that has been established," Hammer said.

The president recognises and appreciates the incredible contribution made by Indian-Americans to the US economy and society and also the vast connections that are developing between Indian and American investors, academics, and families, he said.

Obama hopes to foster and nurture those relationships through bilateral and regional initiatives that support strong ties, he said.

"The president also believes that the US and India have common interests and concerns on many global issues and he hopes to be able to work with India to address these challenges together in a spirit of mutual cooperation," Hammer said.

During the meeting the two leaders are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, prominent among them being the current situation in India's immediate neighbourhood, Afghanistan and Pakistan and Obama's new Af-Pak policy, which he unveiled last week.

The current global economic crisis, climate change and the bilateral relationship too would dominate the meetings.