A historic visit by PM: US

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Dec 2 (PTI) A week after Indian Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh was accorded a red carpet welcome in
the US, the Obama administration has termed his visit as
"historic" and said both the countries had some "specific
accomplishments."
"It was really an historic visit, that we had some
specific accomplishments," the State Department spokesman Ian
Kelly told reporters.
"I think we achieved some important agreements, and
we signed several agreements right here at the State
Department," Kelly said when asked about the visit of the
Indian Prime Minister, during which several Memorandum of
Understandings were signed.
But according to experts, it lacked the big news item
like the nuclear deal announced during the Indian Prime
Minister's State Visit during the Bush Administration in 2005.
"I think the main thing was it underscored the growing
importance of our relationship of the United States with the
world's largest democracy, of a country that is growing in
importance not only regionally, but globally," Kelly said.
"We opened up some new areas for cooperation and for
discussion, particularly in the areas of energy and climate
change. So I think it was really an historic visit, that we
had some specific accomplishments.
"In the long run, the important thing was that we
agreed on the need for a strategic partnership in both
regional and global issues,” Kelly said. PTI LKJ
RDM